Mātāwai facts for kids

Mātāwai is a small town in the Gisborne Region of New Zealand. It's located in the northeast part of the North Island. You can find it near the Motu River and the Raukumara Range mountains. It's also right on State Highway 2, which is a main road between the towns of Gisborne and Ōpōtiki.

The Matawai War Memorial Hall is an important building in the town. It first opened in 1952. This hall replaced an older one that was built in 1910. In 2016, it was updated. This update helped it display the names of local people who served in wars.

Local Parks and Recreation

Matawai has a main park called Matawai Reserve. This park is used for sports and other fun community activities. It's a great place for locals to gather and play.

Māori Meeting Places: Marae

A marae is a special meeting place for Māori people. It's a very important part of Māori culture.

Mātāwai Marae and Tapapa Meeting House

The local Mātāwai Marae is a meeting place for several hapū (sub-tribes) of Te Aitanga ā Māhaki. These include Ngā Pōtiki, Ngāti Mātāwai, Ngāti Wahia, and Te Whānau a Taupara. The Tapapa meeting house is part of this marae.

In October 2020, the New Zealand Government helped the marae. They gave money from the Provincial Growth Fund to improve Mātāwai Marae and Te Wainui Marae. This project also created new jobs for people in the area.

Education in Mātāwai

Matawai School is the main school in the area. It's a public primary school for students from Year 1 to Year 8. This means it teaches children from about age 5 to 13. In 2019, about 58 students attended Matawai School.

There used to be another school nearby called Otoko School, but it closed down in 1997.