Waipara

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Town in Canterbury, New Zealand

title: "Waipara" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["wine-regions-of-new-zealand", "populated-places-in-the-canterbury-region", "hurunui-district"] description: "Town in Canterbury, New Zealand" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waipara" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Canterbury, New Zealand ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
	name
native_name_lang
settlement_type	Settlement
image_skyline	Glenmark Railway Station, Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand 06.jpg
image_caption	Glenmark Train Station
mapframe	yes
mapframe-zoom	7
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	New Zealand
subdivision_type1	Region
subdivision_name1	Canterbury
subdivision_type2	Territorial authority
subdivision_name2	Hurunui District
subdivision_type3	Ward
subdivision_name3	East Ward
seat_type	Electorates
seat
leader_title	Territorial Authority
leader_name	Hurunui District Council
leader_title1	Regional council
leader_name1	Environment Canterbury
leader_title2	Mayor of Hurunui
leader_name2
leader_title3	Kaikōura MP
leader_name3
leader_title4	Te Tai Tonga MP
leader_name4
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	0.59
population_footnotes
population_as_of
population_total
population_density_km2	auto
timezone1	New Zealand Standard Time
utc_offset1	+12
timezone1_DST	New Zealand Daylight Time
utc_offset1_DST	+13
postal_code_type	Postcode
::

Waipara is a wine and tourism district in Canterbury, New Zealand, on the banks of the Waipara River. Its name translates to "muddy water", wai meaning water and para meaning mud.

It is at the junction of state highways 1 and 7, on the Alpine Pacific Touring Route. It is 60 kilometres north of Christchurch, and Hanmer Springs is 76 kilometres (55 minutes drive) to the north-west. It is also situated on the Main North Line railway and the historic Weka Pass Railway.

Waipara lies at one of the points of the Alpine Pacific Triangle, which also includes the major tourist centres of Hanmer Springs and Kaikōura.

The Weka Pass Railway has its base in Waipara, and runs on 12 kilometres of track between there and Waikari over the former route of the Waiau Branch, a branch line railway that diverged from the Main North Line and ran to Waiau. The Glenmark station is based in Waipara.

The Glenmark church reopened in December 2023, having been damaged during the 2010 Christchurch earthquakes and then closed for repairs. The Waipara Hotel burnt down in 2014. It was not insured at the time and has not been replaced.

The Waipara region has a reputation as a premium area for the production of Pinot noir, Riesling and Chardonnay. Waipara is sheltered by the Teviot hills from the prevailing cool easterly winds and has the highest summer temperatures and the lowest rainfall of any of the New Zealand wine regions. Because of this, Waipara has over 26 wineries and 80 vineyards within the valley, which collectively produce around 100,000 cases of award-winning wine in an average year. Many of the vineyards offer tastings at their cellar doors and some also have restaurants attached.

There are a number of day walks close in Waipara including Tiromoana Bush Walkway and the Mt Cass Walkway which is closed during lambing season. Waipara would have been once been covered in tōtara, lacebark, kōwhai, lancewood and broadleaf forest. It is now predominantly vineyards. There have been a number of ongoing projects to increase the biodiversity of the area. Work is ongoing to plant native species in Waipara's shelter belts, stream boundaries, pond edges and vineyard borders. These have provided benefits in pollination, pest control and weed suppression. It has worked so well that the plantings have resulted in a drop in the use of pesticides in the vineyards. The Waipara Environmental Trapping Association (WETA) is aiming to trap rats and other introduced species with the aim of making Waipara a predator-free paradise for native birds.

In 2023, Australian-owned company Far North Solar Farm Ltd applied for consent to build a 180-hectare solar farm in Waipara on a site located between vineyards and the Alpine-Pacific Touring Route. The application attracted local opposition and a community group was established to oppose the proposal.

Fossils

Waipara is also known for some of the fossils discovered there including the Waipara penguin which is the second oldest penguin fossil to be found, a 62 million year old seabird Protodontopteryx ruthae and the Waipara turtle which is estimated to grow to 3 metres long and weigh around 600 kg, The first example of the extinct Haast's Eagle was found on Glenmark Station near Waipara in 1871.

Demographics

Waipara is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement and covers 0.59 km2. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Waipara is part of the larger Omihi statistical area.

Waipara had a population of 312 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 45 people (16.9%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 54 people (20.9%) since the 2006 census. There were 117 households, comprising 165 males and 150 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.1 males per female, with 66 people (21.2%) aged under 15 years, 42 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 153 (49.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 57 (18.3%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 94.2% European/Pākehā, 7.7% Māori, and 2.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 69.2% had no religion, and 20.2% were Christian.

Of those at least 15 years old, 15 (6.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 72 (29.3%) people had no formal qualifications. 27 people (11.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 141 (57.3%) people were employed full-time, 39 (15.9%) were part-time, and 6 (2.4%) were unemployed.

Education

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Waipara_School_27.jpg" caption="Waipara School, established 1917."] ::

Waipara School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of . Waipara School was established in 1917.

Sports

Waipara and Omihi are the catchment area to the Glenmark Rugby Club. The Glenmark rugby club rooms burnt down in 2015. There have been ten All Blacks who have played for Glenmark over the years including Todd Blackadder, Robbie Deans, Bruce Deans, Craig Green, and Andy Earl. Glenmark has had success in the North Canterbury Rugby Competition winning the title in 2016 by beating the Ashley Rugby Club.

The Waipara Classic cycle race starts and finishes in Waipara. It has varied in length between 61 km and 90 km over the years.

Climate

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Waipara West, elevation 130 m, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present) | Jan record high C = 37.4 | Feb record high C = 38.0 | Mar record high C = 34.4 | Apr record high C = 29.6 | May record high C = 27.6 | Jun record high C = 23.1 | Jul record high C = 22.0 | Aug record high C = 24.3 | Sep record high C = 28.8 | Oct record high C = 29.8 | Nov record high C = 32.1 | Dec record high C = 33.8 | year record high C = 38.0 | Jan avg record high C = 32.1 | Feb avg record high C = 32.3 | Mar avg record high C = 29.7 | Apr avg record high C = 26.1 | May avg record high C = 23.0 | Jun avg record high C = 20.2 | Jul avg record high C = 19.2 | Aug avg record high C = 19.9 | Sep avg record high C = 22.4 | Oct avg record high C = 24.8 | Nov avg record high C = 27.9 | Dec avg record high C = 29.8 | year avg record high C = 33.4 |Jan high C = 23.2 |Feb high C = 23.0 |Mar high C = 21.2 |Apr high C = 18.1 |May high C = 15.6 |Jun high C = 12.5 |Jul high C = 12.1 |Aug high C = 13.3 |Sep high C = 15.4 |Oct high C = 17.3 |Nov high C = 19.3 |Dec high C = 21.5 | year high C = |Jan mean C = 17.4 |Feb mean C = 17.1 |Mar mean C = 15.5 |Apr mean C = 12.7 |May mean C = 10.5 |Jun mean C = 7.8 |Jul mean C = 7.3 |Aug mean C = 8.4 |Sep mean C = 10.3 |Oct mean C = 11.9 |Nov mean C = 13.8 |Dec mean C = 15.9 | year mean C = |Jan low C = 11.5 |Feb low C = 11.2 |Mar low C = 9.8 |Apr low C = 7.3 |May low C = 5.4 |Jun low C = 3.0 |Jul low C = 2.5 |Aug low C = 3.5 |Sep low C = 5.3 |Oct low C = 6.5 |Nov low C = 8.2 |Dec low C = 10.4 | year low C = | Jan avg record low C = 5.6 | Feb avg record low C = 5.9 | Mar avg record low C = 4.2 | Apr avg record low C = 2.1 | May avg record low C = 0.2 | Jun avg record low C = -1.4 | Jul avg record low C = -1.9 | Aug avg record low C = -1.4 | Sep avg record low C = -0.7 | Oct avg record low C = 0.7 | Nov avg record low C = 2.2 | Dec avg record low C = 4.7 | year avg record low C = -2.5 |Jan record low C = 3.5 |Feb record low C = 1.4 |Mar record low C = 0.3 |Apr record low C = -1.9 |May record low C = -5.0 |Jun record low C = -7.0 |Jul record low C = -6.3 |Aug record low C = -5.2 |Sep record low C = -3.2 |Oct record low C = -2.3 |Nov record low C = -1.2 |Dec record low C = 2 |year record low C = -7.0 |rain colour = green |Jan rain mm = 47.5 |Feb rain mm = 45.2 |Mar rain mm = 43.8 |Apr rain mm = 58.6 |May rain mm = 45.8 |Jun rain mm = 58.3 |Jul rain mm = 57.3 |Aug rain mm = 54.8 |Sep rain mm = 51.6 |Oct rain mm = 56.2 |Nov rain mm = 52.8 |Dec rain mm = 52.3 |year rain mm = |Jan sun = 247.0 |Feb sun = 231.9 |Mar sun = 216.7 |Apr sun = 187.5 |May sun = 165.7 |Jun sun = 130.8 |Jul sun = 140.5 |Aug sun = 172.3 |Sep sun = 199.6 |Oct sun = 243.1 |Nov sun = 246.4 |Dec sun = 243.1 |year sun = |source 1 = NIWA |url = http://cliflo.niwa.co.nz |title = CliFlo – National Climate Database : Waipara West Ews |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 19 May 2024}}{{cite web |url = https://cliflo.niwa.co.nz/ |title = CliFlo -The National Climate Database (Agent numbers: 4797, 4794, 26607) |publisher = NIWA |access-date = 30 Jul 2024}}

Notable residents

George Henry Moore was the owner of Glenmark Station just to the north of Waipara. At one stage there were 90,000 sheep and it was the most valuable farm in New Zealand.

References

"Christchurch to Kaikoura to Hanmer Springs". Newzealand.com.
"Waipara, New Zealand". Weka Pass Railway Inc.
(2016-05-22). "Waipara is fading, long-time locals say".
(2014-06-17). "Waipara Hotel fire a 'random accident'".
Silverstripe. "Waipara · Hurunui District Council". Hurunui.govt.nz.
"Things to see and do in Waipara, New Zealand".
(2015-11-15). "A wild and woolly time on the Tiromoana Bush Walkway".
"Tiromoana Bush Walk".
"Mt Cass Walkway".
Rural News Group. "Greening Waipara".
(2018-06-19). "North Canterbury village aiming for predator-free goal".
(2023-08-31). "Far North Solar Farm plans to install 200 hectares of solar panels on North Canterbury farm".
(2024-05-05). "Solar farm divides community".
Bristow, Robyn. (2023-08-16). "Solar farm proposal 'making locals' blood boil'".
Valley, Save Waipara. "Save Waipara Valley".
"Waipara penguin {{!}} New Zealand Birds Online".
(2019-09-18). "Bird fossil discovery in Canterbury upends theory".
"Scientists discover one of world's oldest bird species at Waipara".
"Waipara".
"Terror of the forest".
"ArcGIS Web Application".
{{NZ census place summary 2018. omihi. Omihi
{{NZ census 2018. 7023871 and 7023872
"Waipara School Ministry of Education School Profile". [[Ministry of Education (New Zealand).
"Waipara School Education Review Office Report". [[Education Review Office]].
(2015-08-28). "All Blacks history destroyed in North Canterbury rugby club fire".
(2016-08-07). "Glenmark back on top in North Canterbury rugby after grand final comeback win over Ashley".
"2019 Road Results".
Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Glenmark station, North Canterbury".

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