Owhango
Encyclopedia
Owhango is a small town in New Zealand
situated about 20km south of Taumarunui
on State Highway 4 (SH4).
Formerly Owhango was a Mill Town, milling native timbers from around the local area. The mill burned to the ground in the 1970s. Many of the mill houses are now holiday homes owned by city dwellers keen on the skiing
, fishing
, hunting
, canoeing
and tramping opportunities that abound in the surrounding area. The village has a population of little more than 200 and has a primary school, a ski shop, dairy, garage (no fuel sold there, however), hotel, accommodation lodges, motel, cottages for hire and bed and breakfast/homestay places.
The village is one of the most picturesque in New Zealand
with a backdrop of native forest and Mount Ruapehu
. In the spring, the village trees and gardens are alive with native birds, most notably tui
and Kererū
. A delightful domain set amongst native forest features large open playing fields, children's play area and two tennis courts.
line, placing it on the boundary of the old Auckland Province
and Wellington Province
s. Half way through Owhango is the sign marking "39° South". This sign is accurate (to within a few metres) when using NZ Geodetic Datum 1949. The position of 39° South when using WGS84 (or NZ Geodetic Datum 2000) is about 196 metres further south.
The local sports teams are generally dressed in green and white. Historically (esp. in the 1950s) the Owhango Domain played host to a sub-regional annual sports day.
The "Owhango Hall" is used for community meetups, and is just big enough for the one badminton
court.
. Along the river are memorable picnic spots with superb swimming pools containing rainbow
and brown trout
. And also a launch point for Kayakist heading for Kakahi, or even further down the Whanganui River
.
Beyond the bridge is the vast expanse of Tongariro Forest, once the source of timber for the local mill, but now protected as conservation land thanks to a successful campaign in the 1980s led by local people to save the forest from clearance . Bisecting the forest is one of New Zealand's best mountain bike rides, the "42 Traverse". The forest also has excellent tramping, camping and deer hunting opportunities. In the heart of the regenerating forest is one of only a handful of national kiwi
sanctuaries where the Department of Conservation
controls alien predators to protect a population of the North Island
Brown Kiwi
.
Stream located 1 km west down the Ohinematua Road off State Highway 4
north of Owhango. The pool was created by eager locals in the hope of preparing one of the local athletes in to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
The "Owhango Hall" was originally used as a silent movies cinema http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=fo&id=4075 seating 250.
Owhango is a Māori name that translates as "the place of wheezy noises".
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
situated about 20km south of Taumarunui
Taumarunui
Taumarunui is a town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on State Highway 4 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway....
on State Highway 4 (SH4).
Formerly Owhango was a Mill Town, milling native timbers from around the local area. The mill burned to the ground in the 1970s. Many of the mill houses are now holiday homes owned by city dwellers keen on the skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and tramping opportunities that abound in the surrounding area. The village has a population of little more than 200 and has a primary school, a ski shop, dairy, garage (no fuel sold there, however), hotel, accommodation lodges, motel, cottages for hire and bed and breakfast/homestay places.
The village is one of the most picturesque in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with a backdrop of native forest and Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park...
. In the spring, the village trees and gardens are alive with native birds, most notably tui
Tui (bird)
The tui is an endemic passerine bird of New Zealand. It is one of the largest members of the diverse honeyeater family....
and Kererū
Kereru
The New Zealand Pigeon or kererū is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Māori call it Kererū in most of the country but kūkupa and kūkū in some parts of the North Island, particularly in Northland...
. A delightful domain set amongst native forest features large open playing fields, children's play area and two tennis courts.
Location
Owhango is located on the 39° latitudeLatitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
line, placing it on the boundary of the old Auckland Province
Auckland Province
The Auckland Province was a province of New Zealand from 1853 until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Anniversary Day:...
and Wellington Province
Wellington Province
The Wellington Province was a province of New Zealand until the abolition of provincial government in 1876.-Area:...
s. Half way through Owhango is the sign marking "39° South". This sign is accurate (to within a few metres) when using NZ Geodetic Datum 1949. The position of 39° South when using WGS84 (or NZ Geodetic Datum 2000) is about 196 metres further south.
Sport
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The local sports teams are generally dressed in green and white. Historically (esp. in the 1950s) the Owhango Domain played host to a sub-regional annual sports day.
The "Owhango Hall" is used for community meetups, and is just big enough for the one badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
court.
Recreation
The native forest is part of the Ohinetonga Scenic Reserve which contains unlogged old growth native forest containing some forest giants and a pretty lagoon accessible from a looped walking track. A road through the reserve - signposted from the State Highway - leads down to one of New Zealand's most famous river scenes, the view from the old logging bridge over the Whakapapa RiverWhakapapa River
The Whakapapa River in New Zealand trickles off the Whakapapa skifield of Mount Ruapehu, down the western slopes of the mountain through Owhango before finally merging with the Whanganui River just east of Kakahi at ....
. Along the river are memorable picnic spots with superb swimming pools containing rainbow
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
and brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
. And also a launch point for Kayakist heading for Kakahi, or even further down the Whanganui River
Whanganui River
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand.Known for many years as the Wanganui River, the river's name reverted to Whanganui in 1991, according with the wishes of local iwi. Part of the reason was also to avoid confusion with the Wanganui River in the South Island...
.
Beyond the bridge is the vast expanse of Tongariro Forest, once the source of timber for the local mill, but now protected as conservation land thanks to a successful campaign in the 1980s led by local people to save the forest from clearance . Bisecting the forest is one of New Zealand's best mountain bike rides, the "42 Traverse". The forest also has excellent tramping, camping and deer hunting opportunities. In the heart of the regenerating forest is one of only a handful of national kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
sanctuaries where the Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
controls alien predators to protect a population of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
Brown Kiwi
Kiwi
Kiwi are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, in the genus Apteryx and family Apterygidae.At around the size of a domestic chicken, kiwi are by far the smallest living ratites and lay the largest egg in relation to their body size of any species of bird in the world...
.
History
There also is an interesting derelict Swimming pool (38°59.77′S 175°22.32′E) actually constructed into the bed of the KakahiKakahi
Kakahi is a small village about 10 kilometres up the Whanganui River from Taumarunui in New Zealand. It can be accessed from State Highway 4 using access roads Waitea Road or Whakapapa Road....
Stream located 1 km west down the Ohinematua Road off State Highway 4
New Zealand State Highway network
The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...
north of Owhango. The pool was created by eager locals in the hope of preparing one of the local athletes in to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.
The "Owhango Hall" was originally used as a silent movies cinema http://www.cinematour.com/tour.php?db=fo&id=4075 seating 250.
Owhango is a Māori name that translates as "the place of wheezy noises".