Bridge Pā

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Bridge Pā is a rural Māori settlement and surrounding area in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, located approximately 10 kilometres inland from Hastings. The pā itself comprises approximately 70 households, a school, a Mormon Temple, two marae (Korangata Marae and Mangaroa Marae), a cemetery and a disused quarry. The surrounding area includes an aerodrome, two golf clubs, a car club, and a Deer Stalkers hall. As well as the main settlement centred on the intersection of Maraekakaho Road and Raukawa Road, a sattelite settlement is located on Ngatarawa Road (near the Valentine Road corner) and on State Highway 50 (near the corner with Maraekakaho Road in the shadow of Roy's Hill). A relatively large tract of the surrounding rural area (up to 5 km from the pā) is also classified as Bridge Pā by local authrities and Telecom's White Pages.

1 Infrastructure
2 Population
3 Geography
4 Climate
5 Bridge Pā Triangle
6 Famous natives
7 Local Businesses & Institutions

[edit] Infrastructure

The main road through the town is limited to 50km/h and traffic is slowed through a variety of traffic calming measures. There is no sewerage or metropoltan style water reticulation. Wasterwater is treated via individual homeowner septic tanks.

[edit] Population

1996: 184
2001: 213

[edit] Geography

Bridge Pā is situated on flat land on the Heretaunga Plains with the major geographical feature of the township being the Karewarewa Stream. Located on the edge of an unconfined aquifer, the surrounding land is free-draining and is used for sheep grazing, horticulture and wine production.

[edit] Climate

The attractive rural setting experiences between -6°C frosts in winter (usually clearing to clear crisp days) to 45°C heat in late summer. Bridge Pā is approximately 20 km from the coast, and with the central North Island mountain ranges of the Ruahines and Kawekas to intercept the prevailing westerly winds, the region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with around 2350 sunshine hours per annum and very low humidity.

[edit] Bridge Pā Triangle

Bridge Pā Triangle is a grape growing area roughly delinated by three roads: Ngatarawa Road, State Highway 50 and Maraekakaho Road. It is recognised as a premium wine growing area in the Hawke’s Bay region. Wines grown include Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In ancient times the area was blanketed by the pumice tephra of numerous Taupo volcanic events. Much of the Triangle area covers the historical (pre-1860s earthquake) riverbed of the nearby Ngaruroro River. As such soil types include Ngatarawa Gravels, Takapau Silty-loam (free draining red metal of mixed alluvial and volcanic origin) and shallow clay-loam soils with underlying deep free draining pumice. Wineries that produce wine in this area include:

Alwyn Corban and Garry Glazebrook of Ngatarawa Wines pioneered wine production in the area in the 1980s and it is only with the growth of other botique wineries in the late 1990s that the "Bridge Pā Triangle" has been delinated and named. The area is also sometimes described as The Maraekakaho Triangle and The Ngatarawa Triangle. Bordering Ngatarawa Road and to the north of the area along State Highway 50 is the world famous Gimblett Gravels wine growing area.

[edit] Famous natives

George Nepia - All Black Fullback 1920s - '30s Invincibles (attended Maori Agricultural College)
Caroline Evers-Swindell - Olympic Rowing Gold Medalist
Georgina Evers-Swindell - Olympic Rowing Gold Medalist, Indoor Rowing World Record Holder
Peter Lyons - New Zealand Gliding champion