Waipawa is 150 years old in 2010!  

For information on the celebrations click here

13 February - Waipawa's Grand Gala Day,  Grand Parade, Gala and Games. Evening 'Picnic in Park'.

13 March      - Guided Historic Walks to Waipawa's oldest homes.

27 March      - Mary Glover Bibby Painting Exhibition & Joy Cowley Book Launch

2-5 April        -Waipawa Golf Tournament

24-25 April  - Waipawa Snooker Tournament

7 - 9 May     - Cold Duck Motor Bike Rally & Thunder Ride

9 October    - Waipawa's Spring Festival and Duck Race

9 October    - 'Through the Ages' 150 Year Celebration Ball

And more ........   check the monthly event pages for updates

Waipawa is an inland town steeped in history and is one of the oldest inland towns in New Zealand, with the first sections in the town being sold by auction on February 25, 1860. Originally called Abbotsford after its founder Frederick Sedgwick Abbott, by late 1861 the township that nestled beside the Waipawa River had a church, a courthouse, four hotels, two stores, two butcher shops, a blacksmith and the district survey office.

History abounds in Waipawa, with some of the homes built in the late 1800s still standing, and the Settlers Museum in Waipawa's main street crammed with items of interest and significance. A feature of Waipawa is the memorial clock tower, opened in July 1922. The large established trees around the small town have been added to over the years by a keen beautifying society, which is also behind the addition, in the summer months, of hanging baskets full of flowering plants adorning the main street.

Waipawa Municipal Theatre dates back to the early 1900s, and has been described as a jewel in the crown of the district. It has a raked stage and an elegant gallery, and has been described as a 'mini Drury Lane'. The theatre is a popular venue for functions and is well-utilised by the Waipawa Musical and Dramatic Society for their shows.  This grand old dame is due for a beautiful facelift in 2010 and will be the venue for the 150 years 'Through the Ages' Ball.

But not all about Waipawa is steeped in history. Central Hawke's Bay District Council has recently added paving, gardens and balustrades to the town's main street and Nellie Jull Park is the scene of many annual community functions, including:
• Waipawa Veterans Tennis Tournament
• CHB Kennel Club Annual Dog Show
• Duck Day Spring Festival (including a duck race on the Waipawa River)
• Guy Fawkes, Coronation Park

Once a year the main street resounds to the sound of dozens of motorcycles, as participants in the Cold Duck Motorcycle Rally take a 'thunder ride' through the town before heading out to nearby Tamumu for a weekend of live entertainment, competitions and socialising.

The Waipawa River has some excellent trout fishing, and for the days when the trout aren't rising there is a 12-hole golf course, an outdoor public swimming pool and skateboard complex for the kids.

The town has accommodation in the form of homestays, B&Bs and a riverside camping ground, and for socialising, cafe's and bars, set in historic buildings.  A recently established 'Country Market' takes place every Sunday morning through out summer in Madge Hunter Park.

The Waipawa population of about 2000 is also well served with a primary school with large grounds, a very popular library and a small but comprehensive shopping centre.

Major employers in Waipawa include Farmers Transport and Stephenson Transport, Waipawa Buses, the Central Hawke's Bay District Council and on a seasonal basis, the Mr Apple Waipawa pack house, which packs and dispatches 2.2 million cartons of export apples from Central Hawke's Bay each year.

Central Hawke’s Bay Settlers Museum
High St, Waipawa
Phone: (06) 857 7288
Email: chbmuseum@xtra.co.nz
OPENING HOURS : 7 days, 10am - 4pm
Waipawa’s historic Bank of New Zealand building (circa 1887) was gifted to the people of Central Hawke’s Bay to house the museum. Visitors to the museum can enjoy seeing a vast array of historic agricultural equipment as well as the more prosaic features of everyday pioneer life in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Waipawa Municipal Theatre
Kenilworth St, Waipawa (Town Hall)
Phone: (06) 857 8117
Website: www.chbdc.govt.nz
Available for functions and shows. For bookings contact:
CHB District Council, P O Box 127, Waipawa. Phone: (06) 857 8060

Lime Rock Wines

601 Tikokino Rd, Waipawa  (6kms west Waipawa)

Phone: 06 857 8247

E mail: wine@limerock.co.nz

Website : www.limerock.co.nz 

Click here to see Waipawa map