Waipara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Waipara
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Settlement
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Glenmark Train Station
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Canterbury |
| Territorial authority | Hurunui District |
| Ward | East Ward |
| Electorates |
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| Area | |
| • Total | 0.59 km2 (0.23 sq mi) |
| Population
(June 2023)
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| • Total | 320 |
| • Density | 542/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (New Zealand Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (New Zealand Daylight Time) |
Waipara is a special area in Canterbury, New Zealand. It is known for its delicious wines and for being a fun place to visit. The town sits by the Waipara River. Its name means "Muddy Water" in Māori. Wai means water, and para means mud.
Waipara is located where two main roads meet: State Highway 1 and State Highway 7. It is part of the Alpine Pacific Touring Route. This route connects Waipara to other cool places. Waipara is about 60 kilometres north of Christchurch. Hanmer Springs is 76 kilometres away, which is about a 55-minute drive.
Waipara is also on the Main North Line railway. It is home to the historic Weka Pass Railway. This railway is a fun way to see the area.
Waipara is one corner of the Alpine Pacific Triangle. The other two corners are the popular tourist spots of Hanmer Springs and Kaikōura.
The Weka Pass Railway starts in Waipara. It runs for 12 kilometres to Waikari. This railway uses an old track that used to go to Waiau. The Glenmark train station is located in Waipara.
The Glenmark church was damaged in the 2010 Christchurch earthquakes. It was closed for repairs but reopened in December 2023. The Waipara Hotel burned down in 2014. It was not rebuilt.
Contents
Waipara's Famous Wines
Waipara is well-known for making excellent wines. These include Pinot noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay. The Teviot hills protect Waipara from cold winds. This makes Waipara one of the warmest and driest New Zealand wine regions in summer.
Because of its great climate, Waipara has over 26 wineries and 80 vineyards. Together, they produce about 100,000 cases of award-winning wine each year. Many vineyards let you taste their wines at their "cellar doors." Some even have restaurants where you can eat.
Exploring Nature in Waipara
There are many walking trails near Waipara. These include the Tiromoana Bush Walkway and the Mt Cass Walkway. The Mt Cass Walkway closes during lambing season to protect young lambs.
Long ago, Waipara was covered in native forests. These forests had trees like tōtara, lacebark, kōwhai, lancewood, and broadleaf trees. Today, most of the land is used for vineyards.
People are working hard to bring back more native plants and animals. They are planting native species around vineyards and streams. These plants help with pollination and pest control. They have even helped reduce the need for pesticides in the vineyards!
The Waipara Environmental Trapping Association (WETA) is also working to protect native birds. They are trapping rats and other animals that are not native to the area. Their goal is to make Waipara a safe home for native birds.
In 2023, a company wanted to build a large solar farm in Waipara. It would have been 180 hectares big. This plan caused some local people to form a group to oppose it.
Discovering Ancient Fossils
Waipara is famous for the amazing fossils found there.
- The Waipara penguin is one of the oldest penguin fossils ever found. It is about 62 million years old.
- A 62-million-year-old seabird called Protodontopteryx ruthae was also discovered here.
- The Waipara turtle fossil suggests a turtle that could grow up to 3 metres long and weigh around 600 kilograms!
- The first fossil of the extinct Haast's eagle was found near Waipara in 1871.
Waipara's Population
Statistics New Zealand describes Waipara as a rural settlement. It covers about 0.59 square kilometres. As of 2018, Waipara had an estimated population of 320. This means there were about 542 people per square kilometre. Waipara is part of the larger Omihi area.
In the 2018 New Zealand census, Waipara had 312 people. This was an increase of 45 people since the 2013 census. There were 117 homes. The population included 165 males and 150 females. About 21.2% of the people were under 15 years old.
Most people in Waipara (94.2%) were European/Pākehā. About 7.7% were Māori. Many people (69.2%) said they had no religion. About 20.2% were Christian.
Learning at Waipara School
Waipara School is a primary school for students from Year 1 to Year 8. It is a co-educational school, meaning both boys and girls attend. As of February 2024, the school has a roll of 37 students. Waipara School first opened in 1917.
Sports and Recreation
Waipara and Omihi are home to the Glenmark Rugby Club. The club rooms for Glenmark rugby burned down in 2015. Many famous rugby players, called All Blacks, have played for Glenmark. These include Todd Blackadder, Robbie Deans, Bruce Deans, Craig Green, and Andy Earl. In 2016, Glenmark won the North Canterbury Rugby Competition.
The Waipara Classic cycle race also takes place here. This bike race starts and finishes in Waipara. Its length has changed over the years, from 61 kilometres to 90 kilometres.
Waipara's Weather
| Climate data for Waipara West, elevation 130 m (430 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 37.4 (99.3) |
38.0 (100.4) |
34.4 (93.9) |
29.6 (85.3) |
27.6 (81.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
22.0 (71.6) |
24.3 (75.7) |
28.8 (83.8) |
29.8 (85.6) |
32.1 (89.8) |
33.8 (92.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 32.1 (89.8) |
32.3 (90.1) |
29.7 (85.5) |
26.1 (79.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
20.2 (68.4) |
19.2 (66.6) |
19.9 (67.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.9 (82.2) |
29.8 (85.6) |
33.4 (92.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) |
23.0 (73.4) |
21.2 (70.2) |
18.1 (64.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
12.5 (54.5) |
12.1 (53.8) |
13.3 (55.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.3 (66.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
17.7 (63.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) |
17.1 (62.8) |
15.5 (59.9) |
12.7 (54.9) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.4 (54.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.5 (52.7) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.8 (49.6) |
7.3 (45.1) |
5.4 (41.7) |
3.0 (37.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
5.3 (41.5) |
6.5 (43.7) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.4 (50.7) |
7.1 (44.7) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 5.6 (42.1) |
5.9 (42.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
2.1 (35.8) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
0.7 (33.3) |
2.2 (36.0) |
4.7 (40.5) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.5 (38.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2 (36) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 47.5 (1.87) |
45.2 (1.78) |
43.8 (1.72) |
58.6 (2.31) |
45.8 (1.80) |
58.3 (2.30) |
57.3 (2.26) |
54.8 (2.16) |
51.6 (2.03) |
56.2 (2.21) |
52.8 (2.08) |
52.3 (2.06) |
624.2 (24.58) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 247.0 | 231.9 | 216.7 | 187.5 | 165.7 | 130.8 | 140.5 | 172.3 | 199.6 | 243.1 | 246.4 | 243.1 | 2,424.6 |
| Source: NIWA | |||||||||||||
Famous People from Waipara
George Henry Moore was a very important person in Waipara's history. He owned Glenmark Station, a huge farm just north of Waipara. At one time, this farm had 90,000 sheep! It was the most valuable farm in all of New Zealand.
See also
In Spanish: Waipara para niños
