Te Moana is a locality in the
Canterbury Region
Canterbury () is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of , making it the largest region in the country by area. It is home to a population of
The region in its current form was estab ...
of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand. It is located about west of
Geraldine and bordered by
Gapes Valley and
Pleasant Valley to the south and Four Peaks to the north. The south branch of the
Hae Hae Te Moana River runs through the area.
The nearby scenic reserve and
gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
is well known by locals and in addition to being a popular
camping site
Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping (an overnight stay in an outdoor area). The usage differs between British English and American English.
In British English, a ''campsite'' is an ...
is home to a
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
and deep
swimming hole
A swimming hole is a place in a river, stream, stream, creek, spring (hydrosphere), spring, or similar natural body of water, which is large enough and deep enough for a person to human swimming, swim in. Common usage usually refers to freshwate ...
.
The New Zealand
Ministry for Culture and Heritage
The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the Creative New Zealand, arts, Culture of New Zealand, culture, New Zealand Historic Places Trust, built heritage, Sport Ne ...
gives a translation of "the sea" for .
History
The area was settled in the 1850s and was originally known as Rhubarb Flat.
Farming was the economic driver in the area, however, a health resort was built in 1905 by Tom Gunnion.
The Te Moana School was built in 1891 with an average roll of 33, the first teacher was Miss R. McBeth from Pleasant Valley School.
The new school was built on the site in 1975 with a combination of Education Board money and the hard work of local residents.
The school would celebrate its centenary in 1992, however, like many rural schools declining numbers saw the school close its doors in 2004.
The building remains today.
Te Moana was not connected with electricity until autumn of 1959.
Notable people
*
George Jobberns (1895–1974), geographer and educator born and educated in the area
References
{{coord, 44, 04, S, 171, 08, E, display=title, region:NZ_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Timaru District
Populated places in the Canterbury Region