Haast, New Zealand

Haast is a small town in the Westland District territorial authority on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. The Haast region covers over 2,500 square kilometres (970 sq mi).[1]

Haast
Haast
Coordinates: 43°52′52″S 169°2′32″E
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWest Coast
DistrictWestland District
ElectoratesWest Coast-Tasman
Te Tai Tonga
Population
 (2013)
 • Total240
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode
7886
Area code(s)03
Local iwiNgāi Tahu
Haast Beach in 1968
Haast Beach in 2007

The region is named after Julius von Haast, a Prussian-born geologist instrumental in the early geological surveys of New Zealand.

The 2013 census recorded a population of 240 for the Haast statistical area, a decrease of 60 from the 2006 census.[2] The majority of this population is located in three communities: the Haast township, Haast Junction, and Haast Beach.

The main economic activities in the Haast region are farming, fishing and tourism.

Lake Moeraki is 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the northeast, and the Haast Pass is 63 kilometres (39 mi) to the southeast by road. State Highway 6 passes through Haast Junction and just to the east of Haast township. The settlement of Okuru is located on the coast 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Haast.[3][4]

The rarest subspecies of kiwi, the Haast tokoeka, is only found in the mountains of the Haast region.

History

European settlement of the area dates back to the 1870s. The remoteness of the area initially limited access to seagoing vessels, with some rough tracks from the north and east.

The present Haast township was originally a New Zealand Ministry of Works road construction camp, which expanded into a permanent township when the opening of the Haast Pass in 1962 made the region more accessible.[5] The road through the pass to Wanaka was upgraded in 1966.[6]

In 1990 the Haast area was included as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, giving international recognition as a location of significant natural value to Te Wahipounamu - The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.[7]

Climate
Climate data for Haast
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 19
(66)		 19
(66)		 18
(65)		 16
(61)		 14
(57)		 12
(53)		 12
(53)		 12
(54)		 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 18
(64)		 16
(60)
Average low °C (°F) 10
(50)		 11
(51)		 10
(50)		 8
(47)		 6
(43)		 3
(38)		 3
(37)		 4
(39)		 5
(41)		 7
(44)		 8
(47)		 10
(50)		 7
(45)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 310
(12.4)		 290
(11.4)		 330
(12.8)		 350
(13.8)		 290
(11.6)		 230
(9.1)		 210
(8.3)		 320
(12.5)		 290
(11.5)		 360
(14.1)		 330
(12.9)		 330
(12.8)		 3,640
(143.2)
Source: Weatherbase [8]

Communities

Haast Junction is located on the southwest bank of the Haast River, immediately south of the Haast Bridge, at the junction of State Highway 6 and the Haast–Jackson Bay Road.

The smaller Haast Beach is on the coast of the Tasman Sea, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west southwest of Haast Junction, on the Haast–Jackson Bay Road.

The larger Haast township is located on the Haast River, approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Haast Junction, on State Highway 6. The New Zealand Department of Conservation operates a visitor centre in Haast Junction, offering a wide range of information about the surrounding area.

Mobile coverage was made available to Haast and the surrounding areas for the first time in mid-2018.[9]

Education

The Haast School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a Ministry of Education decile rating of 3 and a student roll of 21.[10]

There are no secondary schools in the Haast area. The nearest secondary school is Mount Aspiring College, 140 kilometres (85 mi) away over the Haast Pass in Wanaka, which is too far away to be practical. Most secondary students instead board at secondary schools in Alexandra, Oamaru or Dunedin.

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See also

References
  1. "West Coast - Haast". New Zealand Tourism Guide. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  2. 2013 Census QuickStats about a place : Haast
  3. Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. map 78. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Roger Smith, GeographX (2005). The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand. Robbie Burton. map 180. ISBN 1-877333-20-4.
  5. "About Westland, District Maps, Haast". Westland District Council. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  6. A Wheel on Each Corner, The History of the IPENZ Transportation Group 1956-2006 - Douglass, Malcolm; IPENZ Transportation Group, 2006, Page 12
  7. "Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand, Description". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
  8. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Haast, New Zealand". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  9. "Haast cellphone coverage by end of May: Curran". Otago Daily Times. 7 March 2018.
  10. "Te Kete Ipurangi - Haast School". Ministry of Education. Archived from the original on 2003-06-25.
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