Motueka facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Motueka
Town
An aerial view of Motueka looking east
Nickname(s): "Mot"
Country	New Zealand
Region	Tasman District
Ward	Motueka Ward
Area
• Total	13.66 km² (5.27 sq mi)
Population (June 2023)
• Total	8,320
• Density	609.1/km² (1,577.5/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postal codes	7120, 7196, 7197, 7198
Area code	03
Website	www.lovemotueka.com

Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of 8,320 as of June 2023.

The surrounding district has a number of apple, pear and kiwifruit orchards, as well as growing a variety of specialised crops such as hops. The area formerly served as the main centre of tobacco growing in New Zealand. A number of small vineyards have also been developed.

Nearby beaches (such as Kaiteriteri and Mārahau) are very popular with holidaymakers, and the area around Motueka has one of the country's highest annual sunshine-hour indices.

Motueka, as one of the nearest towns to the Abel Tasman and Kahurangi National Parks, has become the base of many tourism ventures, as well as in Nelson Lakes National Park, and in other recreational areas. Extensive limestone cave systems (including Harwoods Hole in the Tākaka Hill area north of Motueka) attract cavers and rock climbers. Sea kayaking, tramping and canyoning now attract many thousands of visitors each year.

Many artists live in the area around Motueka, especially potters and reggae musicians. The Riverside Community, in nearby Lower Moutere, is a pacifist intentional community. Founded in the 1940s, it is New Zealand's oldest cooperative living community.

Name
History
Geography and climate
Demographics
- Religion
Transport
Culture and arts
Sister cities
Economy
Sport
- Teams
Education
Notable people
See also

Name

Motueka looking toward the south-west and the airport

The name Motueka, or more correctly Motuweka, comes from the Maori language, and means weka island, the weka being a small bird of the rail family.

The town is often colloquially referred to as "Mot" by some residents.

History

The Motueka District Museum

The first known European visitor to the coast near Motueka in 1827 was French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, of the French corvette Astrolabe. He explored and described much of the Tasman Bay shore line. Three ships carrying the New Zealand Company's Nelson expedition, led by Captain Arthur Wakefield, anchored at Astrolabe Roads, north of Kaiteriteri Beach—about 16 kilometres (10 mi) due north of Motueka—in October 1841. Kaiteriteri was selected as a site for the first settlement but was later abandoned in favour of Nelson Haven. The exceptional fertility of the soil and the suitability of the surrounding land for small farm settlement were the main reasons for the establishment of the second town of the Nelson settlement at Motueka in 1842. Motueka was created as a borough in 1900. During the period, 1853 to 1876, Motueka was administrated as part of the Nelson Province.

Geography and climate

Motueka is situated on the small Motueka Plain near the Motueka River which enters Tasman Bay about 4 km north of the town. To the west of the valley the land rises steeply to the Arthur and Pikiruna Ranges, and to the south the flat is broken by the gently rolling Moutere Hills.

The source of the Pearse River near Motueka is the deepest known cold-water cave in the world.

Climate data for Nelson (27km away)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	30.2 (86.4)	36.6 (97.9)	26.0 (78.8)	23.4 (74.1)	22.8 (73.0)	17.4 (63.3)	16.3 (61.3)	17.6 (63.7)	20.3 (68.5)	23.5 (74.3)	26.3 (79.3)	25.3 (77.5)	36.6 (97.9)
Average high °C (°F)	22.4 (72.3)	22.4 (72.3)	20.8 (69.4)	18.1 (64.6)	15.2 (59.4)	12.9 (55.2)	12.4 (54.3)	13.1 (55.6)	14.9 (58.8)	16.8 (62.2)	18.7 (65.7)	20.5 (68.9)	17.4 (63.3)
Average low °C (°F)	13 (55)	12.9 (55.2)	11.4 (52.5)	8.2 (46.8)	4.9 (40.8)	2.4 (36.3)	1.6 (34.9)	3.1 (37.6)	5.4 (41.7)	7.9 (46.2)	9.8 (49.6)	11.8 (53.2)	7.8 (46.0)
Record low °C (°F)	5.9 (42.6)	8.7 (47.7)	5.7 (42.3)	1.7 (35.1)	0.1 (32.2)	−2.8 (27.0)	−6.6 (20.1)	−2.2 (28.0)	1.3 (34.3)	1.9 (35.4)	3.8 (38.8)	7.4 (45.3)	−6.6 (20.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	72 (2.8)	57 (2.2)	78 (3.1)	86 (3.4)	77 (3.0)	85 (3.3)	86 (3.4)	90 (3.5)	73 (2.9)	92 (3.6)	82 (3.2)	75 (3.0)	970 (38.2)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)	9	8	10	10	11	10	12	13	13	13	12	12	133
Mean monthly sunshine hours	234	242	196	189	156	150	155	166	188	223	236	250	2,385
Source: NIWA Climate Data

Demographics

Motueka, comprising the statistical areas of Motueka North, Motueka West and Motueka East, covers 13.66 km² (5.27 sq mi). It had an estimated population of 8,320 as of June 2023, with a population density of 609 people per km².

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	6,624	—
2013	7,110	+1.02%
2018	8,007	+2.40%

Motueka had a population of 8,007 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 897 people (12.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 1,383 people (20.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 2,976 households. There were 3,885 males and 4,128 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female, with 1,323 people (16.5%) aged under 15 years, 1,314 (16.4%) aged 15 to 29, 3,189 (39.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,181 (27.2%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 85.8% European/Pākehā, 14.6% Māori, 2.5% Pacific peoples, 5.7% Asian, and 2.3% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).

The proportion of people born overseas was 18.3%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Although some people objected to giving their religion, 53.8% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 0.5% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 1.7% were Buddhist and 3.0% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 786 (11.8%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 1,659 (24.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 2,835 (42.4%) people were employed full-time, 1,008 (15.1%) were part-time, and 174 (2.6%) were unemployed.

Individual statistical areas
Name	Population	Households	Median age	Median income
Motueka North	2,478	987	46.3 years	$24,600
Motueka West	2,523	783	39.7 years	$25,600
Motueka East	3,006	1,206	53.3 years	$24,300
New Zealand			37.4 years	$31,800

Religion

Motueka once served as a centre for the Plymouth Brethren: their New Zealand patriarch James George Deck (1807–1884) lies buried in Motueka cemetery.

Transport

State Highway 60 runs through the centre of Motueka.

Motueka is served by State Highway 60 which runs 114.5 kilometres (71.1 mi) from Collingwood in Golden Bay / Mohua to State Highway 6 near Richmond.

The former State Highway 61, now known as the Motueka Valley Highway connects State Highway 60 at Motueka to State Highway 6 at Kohatu Junction near Tapawera.

Port Motueka, 3 kilometres (2 mi) south-east of Motueka, on a tidal lagoon of some 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres), provides sheltered berthage for coastal vessels and is the Gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park.

The Motueka Aerodrome is 3 kilometres (2 mi) west of the town centre and serves as a base for the Motueka Aero Club and the Nelson Aviation College. In 1984, Motueka Air started scheduled passenger flights from Motueka to Wellington, New Zealand using a Piper Aztec aircraft. Within a couple of years the Motueka Air network had grown to include Nelson, Wellington and Palmerston North using additional Piper Chieftains. In 1988, Motueka Air was renamed Air Nelson and relocated to Nelson Airport.

Culture and arts

Architecture

Festivals

Kaiteriteri Carnival
Motueka Festival of Lights

Notable residents

Main category: People from Motueka

Denis Aberhart, cricketer
Michael Bennett, film director, screenwriter
George Black, politician
Tony Blain, cricketer
Ann Boyce, New Zealand pioneer and herbalist.
Edward Chaytor, military commander
Bevan Congdon, cricketer
Josh Coppins, professional motocross racer
Herbert Curtis, politician
James George Deck, evangelist
Shannon Francois, netballer
Owen Franks, Rugby Player, Crusaders, All Black
Ruth Gilbert, poet
Toni Hodgkinson, middle distance runner
Keith Holyoake, politician
Denny Hulme, Formula One car racer
Richmond Hursthouse, politician
Simon Mannering, rugby league player
Roderick McKenzie, politician
Glenn Milnes, cricketer
Walter Moffatt, Mayor of Nelson
Michael Myers, Chief Justice of New Zealand
Charles Parker, politician
Richard Hudson, politician
Alfred Christopher Picard, politician
Bill Rowling, politician
Clarence Skinner, politician
Brigette Thomas, winner of New Zealand's Next Top Model, Cycle 3
Shelton Woolright, musician, best known as the drummer for Blindspott
Florence Young, missionary

Sister cities

Motueka is twinned with:

Kiyosato, Hokkaido, Japan

Economy

Talley's Seafood Division at Port Motueka

Horticulture is the main industry in the area surrounding Motueka, and the town benefits directly from this. Some of the main crops are apples, beer hops and kiwifruit. Due to the seasonal growth of many crops, the town's population increases greatly with seasonal workers, especially during late summer and early autumn for the apple 'pick'.

At the height of tobacco production, Motueka was home to two tobacco factories. One owned by Australian company WD & HO Wills Holdings and the other by Rothmans International. The tobacco industry has ceased to exist in the area.

Major employers in Motueka include:

Motueka Lumber Company now known and recognised globally as the MLC Group. Operates a timber processing facility that specialises in cut-to-length componentry, small end section and specialised timber mouldings.
Nelson Aviation College trains pilots for the aviation industry.
Prolam has manufacturing facilities in Lower Moutere and Riwaka (previously Prime Pine) that produce glulam beams, i beams, LVL timber, posts, wood flooring, timber retaining walls and mid floors.
Talley's Group was established in 1936 by Ivan Peter Talijancich. One of the town's largest employers, the company's Port Motueka site incorporates the Group Head Office, the Seafood Division and the Dairy Division. The Vegetable Division began operations in 1978 at Motueka, but has since been relocated to Blenheim and Ashburton.
CJ Industries is a construction and landscaping company.

New Zealand Energy Limited is a Motueka-based company that operates small hydroelectric power stations in Haast, Fox, Ōpunake and Raetihi.

Motueka Fire Station

Sport

Teams

Golden Bay-Motueka Rugby Union
Tasman Rugby Union

Education

Motueka High School is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 9 to 13 students, with a roll of 733 as of April 2023.

There are two co-educational state primary schools in the township for Year 1 to 8 students: Parklands School, with a roll of 203, and Motueka South School, with a roll of 211.

There are two private primary schools in the township for Year 1 to 8 students: Motueka Steiner School, with a roll of 99, and St Peter Chanel School, with a roll of 54.

There are also five other primary schools in the area surrounding Motueka.

Notable people