Herbert, New Zealand

The small town of Herbert, formerly Otepopo, lies in North Otago, New Zealand, 91 kilometres (57 mi) north of Dunedin and 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of Oamaru. It lies on the edge of the Herbert Forest.

Herbert
View of Herbert, North Otago, New Zealand, taken from Mount Charles

Herbert consists of a group of houses and three churches clustered around State Highway 1. A service station is also the postal agency. Two main industries operate in Herbert; an agricultural, industrial and forestry helicopter base and a poultry unit. Surrounding the settlement is rolling and fertile pastureland. The poultry farm, Craigs Poultry, was a finalist for the 2007 Otago Ballance Farm Environment Awards.[1]

On a north-facing site 300 metres (330 yd) from the town was the Otepopo School. This was a primary school for children from 5 to about 13 years old. Thereafter, the children went to Oamaru for further education. Otepopo school was closed in September 2010, due to a rapid decline in the school roll. From 22 pupils in 2009, its roll had dropped to 4 before its closure.[2]

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of the decayed wood" for Ōtepopo.[3]

Some five kilometres south of Herbert is the farming settlement of Waianakarua. The old stone bridge at Waianakarua is the oldest that is still used by the New Zealand State Highway network.[4] This bridge was dismantled stone by stone in 2004, and rebuilt 2 metres wider. In 2005 it was reopened as part of the State Highway network again. Alongside this bridge is an early example of a flourmill (now meals and accommodation – The Mill House]) and 3 km upstream from the bridge is an historical site of another early flourmill, alongside the remains of a dam. Among Waianakarua's more well-known landmarks is "The Big Chicken", a topiary bird standing several metres tall, next to which is a Moeraki boulder "egg".

The son of Burt Munro, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the film "The World's Fastest Indian, resides in Waianakarua and has Burt's (now famous) motorcycle among his possessions.

Pig hunting and sea and river fishing are some of the activities available in the Herbert and Waianakarua district.

References
  1. "Family Farming Operation Announced Supreme Winner". www.scoop.co.nz (Press release). Scoop.
  2. Bruce, David (September 26, 2010). "Otepopo School closes after 146 years". Otago Daily Times Online News.
  3. "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
  4. "New Zealand bridges and structures". NZ Transport Agency. Retrieved 7 January 2011.

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