Rakautara
Locality in Kaikoūra District, New Zealand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rakautara is a small settlement 22 kilometres (14 mi) north of Kaikōura, on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island.[1][2]
Rakautara | |
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Locality | |
 Interactive map of Rakautara | |
| Coordinates: 42°15′54″S 173°48′0″E |
History
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| Aniseed Village in the 1930s | |
 https://virtualexhibit.marlboroughmuseum.org.nz/mhs/vewebsite21/exhibit1/e10041b.html |
From 1936 to 1945,[3]: 5 during the construction of the Main North Line railway from Wharanui to Kaikōura,[4] Rakautara had a camp for railway workers. It was located about a kilometre south of the Rakautara Stream bridge and was called Aniseed Village or Terrace Camp. It had huts, entertainment venues and a school. Land surrounding the stream was also used for the camp, with the north side of the stream, near the coast, having a dental practice, a YMCA hall and a few workshops.[3]: 5
Rakautara railway station opened on 13 March 1944 and closed on 16 October 1992.[5]
The 2016 Kaikōura earthquake caused two large landslides on either side of Rakautara, which blocked off the township by road.[6] Access to and from Rakautara required walking through railway tunnels and over land slides.[7] Road access was restored in March 2017.[6] The earthquake caused slope instability around Rakautara, increasing the risk of rockfall, which resulted in a few properties being deemed unsafe to occupy. As a response, rockfall protection structures were placed near five properties in 2020.[3]: 1
Geography
A river runs through Rakautara. There is a waterfall about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) away from State Highway 1.[8]
There is a scenic reserve in Rakautara, named Rakautara Scenic Reserve.[9]
Demographics
As of 2016 there are about 10 houses in Rakautara.[10]
Rakautara locality covers 72.91 km2 (28.15 sq mi)[11] It had a population of 45 people in the 2023 census.[12] Rakautara is part of a larger area including Hāpuku and Mangamaunu and of the still larger Kaikōura Ranges statistical area.[13]