Maraekakaho: Rural History and Heritage

Maraekakaho combines a rural setting with local history and regional heritage. Maraekakaho Station Woolshed, the village’s development and the Maraekakaho-Keruru Heritage Trail offer different perspectives on the area. The trail begins in Maraekakaho and extends beyond it; other nature, garden and activity themes are part of the wider Hastings District. When planning your trip, you can decide whether local heritage or a broader regional itinerary will be the main focus of your stay.

Rural cultural landscape and place name

Maraekākaho is home to lifestyle properties, vineyards and wineries, orchards, and pastoral farms. Together, they describe a rural landscape where wine and fruit growing sit alongside pastoral farming. The place name also refers to the plant life: Maraekākaho can be translated as “place of abundance of kākaho.” Kākaho refers to the stalk or stem with white, feathery flower heads of the toetoe plant. The local hapū of Maraekakaho include Ngāti Pōporo and Ngāti Whatuiāpiti. The place name, its connection to plants and the hapū add a cultural dimension to the area’s agricultural profile.

Village history and Maraekakaho Station Woolshed

Maraekakaho Village was the centre of Donald Maclean’s 20,243-hectare Maraekakaho Station. Donald Maclean built a store in the village in 1865. In 1877, Ronald Donald Douglas Maclean and workers, most of whom came from the Isle of Tiree, built a school and a village hall. The hall housed a library of 3,000 books. This history encompasses both the extensive station operation and the community facilities in the village.

A notable testament to sheep farming is Maraekakaho Station Woolshed, at 3513 State Highway 50, Maraekakaho. It is classified as a Category 1 Historic Place, is privately owned and is not open to the public. Its floor area of around 15,000 square feet and original capacity to shelter 5,000 sheep convey the scale for which the building was designed. The Maraekakaho War Memorial Site, at the intersection of Kereru Road and State Highway 50, is another named landmark in the area’s history.

Heritage trail and roads in the wider area

The 200-kilometre Maraekakaho-Keruru Heritage Trail along the Ngaruroro River begins in Maraekakaho; Maraekakaho Village is one of its significant points. The trail runs from the vineyards and pastoral land of the Heretaunga Plains to the foothills of the Ruahine and Wakarara Ranges. Whakapirau Road and Salisbury Road are recommended as trail circuits for outstanding panoramic views. Check road conditions before setting out. In the wider region, take care on the few gravel sections of Mangleton Road. As surface conditions can change, check road conditions before you travel.

In the Hastings District: regional contrasts

In the wider destination of the Hastings District, heritage trails take visitors through cultural, historical and scenic highlights. The Hawke’s Bay Trails offer a different way to explore: they are among New Zealand’s 23 Great Rides and include 200 kilometres of easy cycling trails through the Hastings District and Napier. While the Maraekakaho-Keruru Heritage Trail begins in Maraekakaho, the cycling trails through the Hastings District and Napier are the key points of reference for the Hawke’s Bay Trails. Visitors can drive along Te Mata Peak Road to the summit of Te Mata Peak.

The range of possible activities also varies considerably. Elephant Hill offers a wine-tasting experience featuring Hawke’s Bay wines in the Hastings District. Mohaka Rafting offers full-day and multi-day adventures on grade 2, 3 and 5 white-water rapids. Wine tasting and rafting in different time formats thus cater to distinct regional interests.

Garden and nature highlights in the Hastings District include Osmanthus Garden in Cornwall Park. Designed in a traditional Chinese style, it features a large pond, pavilions, the Friendship Bridge, the Crooked Bridge, bamboo and fragrant Osmanthus plants. Frimley Park is a reserve in the style of an English landscape park; its formal gardens include more than 5,500 roses. The playground there features bongo drums, speaking tubes, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, swings, slides, a climbing rope structure and a scooter track. Guthrie-Smith Arboretum is an important collection area for many plant species and a haven for birds and native wildlife.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Clifton, Waiwhare, Poukawa, Clive, Kahuranaki, Karamu, Hastings, Tuki Tuki.

For the wider travel overview: Hastings District.