Haast | |
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| Coordinates:43°52′52″S169°2′32″E / 43.88111°S 169.04222°E /-43.88111; 169.04222 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | West Coast |
| District | Westland District |
| Ward | Southern |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial Authority | Westland District Council |
| • Regional council | West Coast Regional Council |
| • Mayor of Westland | Helen Lash |
| • West Coast-Tasman MP | Maureen Pugh |
| • Te Tai Tonga MP | Tākuta Ferris |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2024)[2] | |
• Total | 90 |
| • Density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 7886 |
| Area code | 03 |
| Localiwi | Ngāi Tahu |
Haast is a small town in theWestland District on theWest Coast of New Zealand'sSouth Island. The township is beside theHaast River, 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Haast Junction, onState Highway 6. The Haast region is inTe Wahipounamu – The South West New Zealand World Heritage, aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site designated in 1990.[3][4]
The township, the majorriver that is close to the town, agorge on the river and thepass across to the eastern side of the Southern Alps are all named afterJulius von Haast, aPrussian-born geologist who travelled through the area in 1863. Although the prospector Charles Cameron is said to be the first European to ‘discover’ the pass, Haast was recognised by having the town named after him.[5]
The main Māori settlement in the area was thepāŌkahu at the mouth of theArawhata River.[6]
The Haast area was extensively used by Māori as a key source ofpounamu.[7] Their main route from inland was calledTioripatea.
Ngāi Tahu occupation of the land was ended byattacks by North Island tribes. In 1836, theNgāti Tama chiefTe Pūoho led a 100-person war party, armed withmuskets, down theWest Coast and over theHaast Pass. He ambushed a Ngāi Tahu encampment between Lake Wānaka andLake Hāwea,[8] then went south pastLake Wakatipu. His raid ended in Southland where he was killed and his war party destroyed by the southern Ngāi Tahu leaderTūhawaiki.[9]
European settlement of the area dates back to the 1860s. The remoteness of the area initially limited access to seagoing vessels, with some rough tracks from the north and east.[citation needed]
Early European explorers searched for the Māori routes to cross from the eastern to the western sides of the South Island and back again, having learnt of the pass whenHuruhuru drew a map for the explorerEdward Shortland in 1844. The first European ascent was from the Wānaka side in March 1861, when the exploring surveyor John Holland Baker, seeking new sheep country, looked down from the saddle towards the West Coast.[10] Gold prospector Charles Cameron claimed to have made the first crossing to the coast in 1863; however he was widely believed to have only got to the upper reaches of theHaast River / Awarua.
The honour of first official crossing was claimed by Julius von Haast, Canterbury's provincial geologist, who led a five-man expedition in January 1863. He named the Haast River after himself, "directed, so he said, by his provincial superindendent", and returned to Lake Wānaka "nearly shoeless" after six weeks.[10]
Haast's party travelled up the headwaters of theMakarora River. On 23 January they reached the open, boggy summit of the pass, which was surrounded by beech forest. Haast made awatercolour which was used to illustrate a later report. The party then crossed the pass and travelled downstream to the coast, which they reached on 20 February.[11]
The present Haast township was originally aNew Zealand Ministry of Works road construction camp, which expanded into a permanent township when the opening of theHaast Pass in 1962 made the region more accessible.[12] The road through the pass toWānaka was upgraded in 1966.[13]
In 1990 the Haast area was included as part of aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site, giving international recognition to a region of significant natural value, named asTe Wahipounamu – The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.[4]
The Haast township is located on theHaast River, approximately 3 kilometres (2 mi) south of Haast Junction, onState Highway 6. The Haast River (Māori:Awarua) is 100 kilometres (62 mi) in length, and enters theTasman Sea near the Haast township. It drains the westernwatershed of the Haast Pass, and passes through a gorge known as the Gates of Haast.
TheNew Zealand Department of Conservation operates a visitor centre in Haast Junction, on the southwest bank of the Haast River, immediately south of the Haast Bridge, at the junction of State Highway 6 and the Haast–Jackson Bay Road. The visitor centre offers a wide range of information about the surrounding area.
Lake Moeraki is 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the northeast, and the Haast Pass is 63 kilometres (39 mi) to the southeast by road. The settlement of Okuru is located on the coast 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-west of Haast.[14][15]
The small settlement of Haast Beach is on the coast of the Tasman Sea, approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west southwest of Haast Junction, on the road toJackson Bay.
Haast holds the distinction of being the wettest town in New Zealand.[16]
| Climate data for Haast (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1949–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 29.4 (84.9) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.9 (82.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.7 (63.9) | 18.9 (66.0) | 19.9 (67.8) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.3 (73.9) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.3 (81.1) | 29.4 (84.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) | 18.8 (65.8) | 18.0 (64.4) | 16.0 (60.8) | 14.0 (57.2) | 12.1 (53.8) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.3 (54.1) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.2 (57.6) | 15.4 (59.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 15.1 (59.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 14.7 (58.5) | 15.0 (59.0) | 14.0 (57.2) | 12.3 (54.1) | 10.5 (50.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 8.4 (47.1) | 9.3 (48.7) | 10.3 (50.5) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.4 (56.1) | 11.3 (52.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.0 (51.8) | 11.3 (52.3) | 10.0 (50.0) | 8.5 (47.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 4.7 (40.5) | 4.0 (39.2) | 4.5 (40.1) | 5.4 (41.7) | 6.5 (43.7) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.7 (49.5) | 7.5 (45.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.0 (37.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | 0.7 (33.3) | −1.4 (29.5) | −2.7 (27.1) | −5.1 (22.8) | −3.7 (25.3) | −4.0 (24.8) | −2.0 (28.4) | −3.4 (25.9) | −0.4 (31.3) | 1.0 (33.8) | −5.1 (22.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 255.7 (10.07) | 202.7 (7.98) | 246.2 (9.69) | 212.2 (8.35) | 267.8 (10.54) | 268.3 (10.56) | 251.5 (9.90) | 245.7 (9.67) | 299.5 (11.79) | 294.0 (11.57) | 240.9 (9.48) | 339.6 (13.37) | 3,124.1 (122.97) |
| Source: NIWA[17] | |||||||||||||
Haast town is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, covering 0.57 km2 (0.22 sq mi).[1] It had an estimated population of 90 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 158 people per km2. The settlement is part of the larger Haast statistical area.[18]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 63 | — |
| 2013 | 54 | −2.18% |
| 2018 | 84 | +9.24% |
| Source:[19] | ||
Haast had a population of 84 at the2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 30 people (55.6%) since the2013 census, and an increase of 21 people (33.3%) since the2006 census. There were 45 households, comprising 42 males and 39 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 43.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 9 people (10.7%) aged under 15 years, 21 (25.0%) aged 15 to 29, 39 (46.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 12 (14.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.3% European/Pākehā, 14.3%Māori, and 7.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.6% reported no religion, 32.1% wereChristian and 3.6% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 9 (12.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 9 (12.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 6 people (8.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 45 (60.0%) people were employed full-time, and 9 (12.0%) were part-time.[19]
Haast statistical area covers 4,099.09 km2 (1,582.67 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 300 as of June 2024,[20] with a population density of 0.073 people per km2.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 300 | — |
| 2013 | 240 | −3.14% |
| 2018 | 258 | +1.46% |
| Source:[21] | ||
The statistical area had a population of 258 at the2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 18 people (7.5%) since the2013 census, and a decrease of 42 people (−14.0%) since the2006 census. There were 144 households, comprising 132 males and 123 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female. The median age was 52.6 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 24 people (9.3%) aged under 15 years, 36 (14.0%) aged 15 to 29, 138 (53.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 57 (22.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 86.0% European/Pākehā, 11.6%Māori, 4.7%Pasifika, 4.7%Asian, and 3.5% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 18.6, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 46.5% reported no religion, 39.5% wereChristian, 1.2% wereBuddhist and 1.2% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (11.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 51 (21.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $27,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 24 people (10.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 147 (62.8%) people were employed full-time, 27 (11.5%) were part-time, and 3 (1.3%) were unemployed.[21]
TheHaast tokoeka is one of the rarest subspecies ofkiwi, with more than half the known population living in an actively managed area of the Haast ranges.[22]
The main economic activities in the Haast region are farming, fishing and tourism.[citation needed]
The Haast area is not connected to the national electricity grid.New Zealand Energy operates anelectricity distribution network supplying the town. Electricity is generated by an 800-kilowatthydroelectric scheme on theTurnbull River, constructed in 1972. The scheme is backed up by a 375-kilowattdiesel generator.[23] In 2023, the company applied for consent to build a second hydro power station on the Turnbull River.[24]
Haast received mobile coverage in May 2018.3G mobile coverage is provided for all three mobile networks within a 3 km (2 mi) radius of Haast township.[25]Fibre broadband became available in the township in 2022.[26]
The Haast School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a student roll of 10 as of November 2024.[27][28] The school opened in the 1890s[29] and is the most isolated school in the mainland of New Zealand.[30]
There are no secondary schools in the Haast area. The nearest isMount Aspiring College, 140 kilometres (85 mi) away over theHaast Pass inWānaka, too far away to be practical. Most secondary students board at schools inAlexandra,Oamaru orDunedin.
