Pātea Travel Guide: Poi E, the Aotea Waka and South Taranaki's River Town
Most visitors to Taranaki do New Plymouth, walk the Goblin Forest on the maunga and head home. Keep driving south on State Highway 3 and you reach Pātea, a small river town with a big heart, a number-one hit song and more stories per street than places ten times its size. It's the town that gave New Zealand Poi E.
Pātea at a glance
Where: South Taranaki, on State Highway 3, 27 km south-east of Hāwera and 61 km from Whanganui. New Plymouth is about an hour and a half north.
Size: about 1,300 people.
The name: the full name is Pāteanui-a-Turi. Turi, captain of the Aotea waka, reached the river and set down his burdens (pātea) here.
Allow: half a day, or a full day with Lake Rotorangi.
Home of Poi E
In September 1982 the Pātea freezing works closed. It had been South Taranaki's biggest employer, with close to a thousand workers in the busy season, and the town took a hard hit. Two years later the Pātea Māori Club released Poi E, written by Dalvanius Prime and Ngoingoi Pēwhairangi. A te reo Māori song with breakdancing in the video went to number one in New Zealand, and the whole country knew where Pātea was.
Watch Te Arepa Kahi's 2016 documentary Poi E: The Story of Our Song before you come. It's warm, funny and the best introduction to the town you'll find.
The Aotea Waka memorial
The town's landmark is a concrete replica of the Aotea waka, raised on a plinth and unveiled in 1933. It honours Turi and his people, who settled the Pātea area after their voyage to Aotearoa. It sits in the memorial reserve on the main road, with big open lawns for the kids to run off steam. Check out the brightly painted toilets while you're there.
Aotea Utanganui Museum of South Taranaki
This is the district museum, and it's a good one. The building's carved entrance is worth a photo on its own, and inside are interactive displays on Māori settlement, the port, the freezing works and small-town life that keep children interested. Entry is free (koha welcome). It's at 127 Egmont Street and open Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm.
Walk through a whale: the Garden of Tutunui
On the corner of Egmont Street and the highway, the Garden of Tutunui is a giant whale ribcage you can walk inside. Artist Kim Jarett made it in 2006, and it tells the story of Tutunui, the pet whale of the great chief Tinirau. It's the best selfie spot in town.
The river mouth, the old port and a shipwreck
It's hard to believe now, but in the 1920s Pātea was the biggest cheese-exporting port in the world. The port closed in 1959. Walk the river to the mouth and you'll find the old harbour moles, a wide dark-sand beach, driftwood and moody, wind-blown views out to the Tasman Sea.
Look for the rusting ribs of the SS Waitangi on the western beach, near the high-tide line. She hit the end of the western breakwater on 5 May 1923 with a load of chaff and ran aground. Nobody died, but she never left. How much you see depends on the sand, which comes and goes. The Pātea Historical Society has the full story.
Be careful: the beach is unpatrolled and swimming here is dangerous, with strong currents at the river mouth and lots of driftwood. Keep off the moles when the sea is up.
Lake Rotorangi
Inland, the Pātea River was dammed between 1979 and 1984 to make Lake Rotorangi, New Zealand's longest man-made lake. The Lake Rotorangi Hydro Walkway starts by crossing the dam, climbs through nīkau and tawa forest to a lake view, and loops back along the water's edge in about 40 minutes. The last few kilometres to the dam are unsealed.
Where a US Open champion learned to play
Golfer Michael Campbell spent his early childhood at Whenuakura, just south of Pātea, and first swung a club aged seven on the Pātea golf course, where the greens were fenced to keep the sheep off. In 2005 he won the US Open, two shots ahead of Tiger Woods, then the World Match Play and its £1 million prize, the richest in golf at the time.
Where to stay
This post includes affiliate links. If you book through them, Best Bits Travel may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Plan your trip
When: any time of year. The beach is at its moodiest on a wild winter day.
Pair with: Hāwera and Tawhiti Museum, then carry on to Whanganui, or loop back north on Surf Highway 45.
Check before you go: museum hours, and the tide if you want to look for the wreck.
FAQs
What is Pātea famous for?
Poi E, the 1984 number-one hit by the Pātea Māori Club. The town is also known for the Aotea waka memorial and as the landing place of Turi and his people.
How far is Pātea from New Plymouth?
About 100 km, or an hour and a half on State Highway 3 via Hāwera. Whanganui is about 45 minutes the other way.
Can you see the shipwreck at Pātea?
Often, yes. The ribs of the SS Waitangi, wrecked in 1923, lie on the western beach near the river mouth, close to the high-tide line. Shifting sand sometimes covers them.
Is it safe to swim at Pātea Beach?
No. The beach is unpatrolled, the river mouth has strong currents and there's plenty of driftwood. Enjoy it for walking and photos instead.
Keep exploring Taranaki
Hāwera Travel Guide: Tawhiti Museum, a Heritage Water Tower and South Taranaki's Hidden Stories
New Plymouth Travel Guide: Len Lye, Coastal Walks, Gardens and the Best Free Things to Do
Whanganui Travel Guide: River City Heritage, Durie Hill and Gardens Worth the Detour
Forgotten World Highway (SH43): A Slow Road Trip from Taumarunui to Stratford
