Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, Kapiti Coast.

The Kapiti Coast (formerly known as The Golden Coast) is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council. Kapiti means "joining" or "boundary": the island was at one time the boundary between the rohe (territories) of two Māori iwi. Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, New Zealand. ... Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, New Zealand. ... North Island The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, the other being the South Island. ... For the first Duke of Wellington, see Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. ... Kapiti Island seen from Waikanae Beach, Kapiti Coast. ... The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island. ... Rohe is a word used by the Maori of New Zealand to describe the territory or tribal claim of an iwi (tribe). ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Iwi (pronounced ee-wee) are the largest everyday social units in Māori society. ...

Geography

The district stretches from Paekakariki in the south to Otaki in the north. It includes the towns of Te Horo, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Raumati Beach, and Raumati South, and smaller localities such as Maungakotukutuku, Otaihanga, and Peka Peka. Along the thin coastal plains at the foot of the Tararua Range, the Kapiti Coast in common parlance also includes the neighbouring areas south to Plimmerton to the north of Porirua Harbour, and in the north includes some of the coastal areas of Horowhenua such as Waikawa Beach and even Hokio Beach, close to Lake Horowhenua. Kapiti Coast District extends inland to the top of the Tararua Range, whereas in the public perception the inland hill country is rarely considered as part of the coast. Kapiti is possibly most famous for its island, Kapiti Island. This is a bird sanctuary, and a permit is required to visit. Paekakariki is a town in the Kapiti Coast District in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. ... Te Horo and Te Horo Beach are two small towns located on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... Waikanae (pronounced Why-kah-nye) is a small town on New Zealands Kapiti Coast. ... Paraparaumu Airport Paraparaumu is a town in the south-western North Island of New Zealand. ... Raumati is the name of two neighbouring towns on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... Raumati is the name of two neighbouring towns on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... Maungakotukutuku is a rural locality on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... Otaihanga is a small town that forms part of the Kapiti Urban Area on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... Peka Peka, sometimes Pekapeka, is a small seaside town located on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealands North Island. ... North Island New Zealand and position of Tararua Range Clem Creek flowing into the Waiohine River View from Mt Holdsworth The Tararua Range (often referred to as the Tararua Ranges) is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand which form a ridge running parallel with... The township of Plimmerton surrounds one of the more congenial beaches in the northwest part of the Wellington urban area in New Zealand. ... Porirua Harbour is a natural inlet in the southestern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Horowhenua is a district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. ... Lake Horowhenua is located in the Horowhenua, an area of the southern Manawatu-Wanganui region in New Zealands North Island. ...

History

Māori chief Te Rauparaha established a base on Kapiti Island, and from this position, he was able to launch attacks on other tribes during the Musket Wars of the early 1800s. Around this time, Europeans began whaling in the area, and on 16 October 1839, William Wakefield of the New Zealand Company arrived in the Kapiti region to purchase land for permanent European settlement. Te Rauparaha sold him land in the Nelson and Golden Bay area. Te Rauparaha (1760s?-1849) was a Maori Chief and War Leader of the Ngati Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars. ... The Musket Wars were a series of battles fought between various tribal groups of Maori in the early 1800s, primarily on the North Island in New Zealand. ... is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Colonel William Wakefield (1801-1848), married 1826 to Emily Sydney, the fifth child of Edward Wakefield and Priscilla Bell, he was the leader of the first colonizing expedition to New Zealand and founder of Wellington. ... The New Zealand Company formed in 1839 to promote the colonisation of New Zealand. ... The City of Nelson is situated very close to the centre of New Zealand. ... Golden Bay is the name of a bay and a district at the northern end of New Zealands South Island. ...

European settlement of the Kapiti Coast only took place on a significant scale after the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) opened its railway line from Wellington to Longburn, just south of Palmerston North. The line was opened in 1886, with the final spike driven in on the Kapiti Coast at Otaihanga. Paekakariki was quickly established as a significant steam locomotive depot due to the need to swap locomotives at the location; powerful, heavy locomotives were required to handle trains over the rugged section from Wellington Paekakariki, while lighter, faster locomotives were more suited to the relatively flat terrtain north of Paekakariki. In 1908, the WMR was purchased by the New Zealand Railways Department, who incorporated the line into the North Island Main Trunk Railway. The Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR or W&MR) was a private railway company, operating a line between Thorndon in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and Longburn, near Palmerston North in the Manawatu. ... Palmerston North (Māori: ) is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. ... One of the last mainline steam locomotives built in the UK: British Railways Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 no. ... The New Zealand Railways Department, or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways), often known as the Railways, was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealands rail infrastructure. ... The North Island Main Trunk line (NIMT) connects Auckland and Wellington, the two major cities of New Zealands North Island. ...

In June 1940, the Wellington-Paekakariki section was electrified as electric locomotives provided better motive power. This meant trains would swap from steam (and later diesel-electric) to electric traction in Paekakariki and it retained its status as a significant locomotive depot. It also became the northern terminus of the Wellington commuter railway network until 8 May 1983, when it was extended to Paraparaumu, its current terminus. Overhead wire in Coventry, England Overhead wire and its suspension system in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives and multiple units. ... Modern AC locomotive (DBAG Class 152). ... A modern Diesel locomotive. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ...

During World War II, Queen Elizabeth Park - a large tract of parkland between Raumati South and Paekakariki - was the location of two United States Army and Marines camps, McKay and Russell. US troops were stationed at the camps in 1942-44 prior to being sent into combat in the Pacific Ocean theatre. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The United States Army is the largest and oldest branch of the armed forces of the United States. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... The Pacific Ocean theater was one of four major theaters of the Pacific War, between 1941 and 1945. ...

After World War II, Wellington's Rongotai Airport was closed due to safety reasons in 1947 and Paraparaumu Airport became the main airport for the Wellington Region. In 1949, it was New Zealand's busiest airport and helped to stimulate growth on the Kapiti Coast. The Wellington International Airport was opened in 1959 and Paraparaumu Airport never regained its status, with some of its land sold for residential development in the 1990s and 2000. It is now primarily used for minor commercial activity such as that of airline Air2there and for private and hobby flights. Aerial view of Paraparaumu Airport looking towards Paraparaumu Beach. ... The Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island. ... Wellington International Airport (IATA: WLG, ICAO: NZWN) is an international airport located on the Rongotai isthmus, 7 km southeast of central Wellington, New Zealands capital city. ... Air2there is an airline in New Zealand. ...

Recently, the Kapiti Coast has seen a significant population surge and is one of New Zealand's fastest growing areas. This has led to considerable growth in all towns apart from Paekakariki, where development is geographically limited.

Economy

The Kapiti Coast is well-known for its cheeses and other products from Lindale. Lindale is a locality just north of the Paraparaumu town centre in New Zealands Kapiti Coast district. ...

Many of the Kapiti Coast's residents are not employed in the area. Instead, they commute to jobs in Wellington. Tranz Metro operates electric commuter trains along a portion of the North Island Main Trunk Railway referred to as the Paraparaumu Line, and its Capital Connection commuter train from Palmerston North to Wellington provides a service for commuters north of the electric terminus in Paraparaumu. Tranz Metro is the suburban rail system in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. ... The Paraparaumu Line is the name given to the electrified southern portion of the North Island Main Trunk Railway between New Zealands capital city, Wellington, and Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast. ... The Capital Connection is a long-distance commuter passenger service between Palmerston North and Wellington in New Zealand. ...

Film and television

This small area has made some serious contributions in feature films and TV. Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings and King Kong fame is from Pukerua Bay and went to high school at Kapiti College in Raumati Beach. Scenes from both of the aforementioned movies have been filmed on the Kapiti Coast. During the filming of The Return of the King some of the seminal battle scenes in the fields in front of Minas Tirith were shot in part at Queen Elizabeth Park. Kapiti Island figured in King Kong with the scenes approaching the lost island of King Kong shot in the waters between Raumati Beach and the island. For other persons named Peter Jackson, see Peter Jackson (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Peter Jackson films. ... King Kong is a 2005 remake of the 1933 King Kong film about a fictional giant ape called Kong. ...

Andrew Niccol, a screenwriter and film producer, was born in Paraparaumu. He has written and produced (or co-produced) a number of movies, including Gattaca, The Truman Show, S1m0ne, and Lord of War. Also from Paraparaumu is young actor James Ashcroft who has acted in numerous TV productions, including occasional appearances in Battlestar Galactica. Andrew M. Niccol (born 1964) is a screenwriter, producer, and director. ... Screenwriters, scenarists, or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Gattaca is a 1997 science fiction drama film written and directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law with supporting roles played by Loren Dean, Gore Vidal and Alan Arkin. ... The Truman Show is a 1998 film directed by Peter Weir, written by Andrew Niccol, and starring Jim Carrey and Ed Harris. ... S1m0ne (also spelled Simone) is a 2002 science fiction drama film written, produced and directed by New Zealander Andrew Niccol, starring Al Pacino. ... Lord of War is a 2005 film written and directed by Andrew Niccol and starring Nicolas Cage. ... Battlestar Galactica. ...

Sport

Kapiti has been represented in rugby league by the Kapiti Bears - Kapiti Coast Rugby League Club Inc. The Club was founded in the 1970s and was the home of Kiwi and Melbourne Storm player Stephen Kearney. The Kapiti Bears operate out of Matthews Park, Menin Road, and are affiliated with the Wellington Rugby League Assn. Rugby league football (usually shortened to rugby league, football, league) is a full-contact team sport played with a prolate spheroid-shaped ball by two teams of thirteen on a rectangular grass field. ... First international Wales 8 - 9 New Zealand (Aberdare, Wales; 1 January 1908) Biggest win Tonga 0 - 74 New Zealand (Auckland, New Zealand; 1999 Biggest defeat New Zealand 0-58 Australia (Wellington, New Zealand; 14 October 2007 World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1954) Best result Runners-up, 1988; 2000 The... The Melbourne Storm are a professional rugby league football club based in the city of Melbourne, Australia. ... Stephen Kearney (born June 12, 1972 in Auckland, New Zealand) was a New Zealand Rugby League player for Hull FC in the English Super League competition, Kearney had also previously played for the Melbourne Storm and the Western Suburbs Magpies in the Australian National Rugby League competition. ...

In soccer, Kapiti is represented by Kapiti Coast United, who play at Weka Park in Raumati Beach. The club was formed by the merger of Raumati Hearts and Paraparaumu United in 2003. “Soccer” redirects here. ... Kapiti Coast United is a soccer club in New Zealand. ... Weka Park is a public park in Raumati Beach on New Zealands Kapiti Coast. ...

Attractions

Otaki-Māori Racing Club is New Zealand's only Māori racing club; it was formed in 1886, and holds eight race meetings annually.[1] This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ...

Queen Elizabeth Park contains the Wellington Tramway Museum and a number of coastal walking tracks. It also hosts orienteering events. The Wellington Tramway Museum is at Queen Elizabeth Park, off McKay’s Crossing between Paekakariki and Paraparaumu, and has been operating trams there since 1965. ... The international orienteering symbol. ...

Steam Incorporated, a railway preservation society, is based at Paekakariki railway station, which is maintained by the Paekakariki Station Precinct Trust. Steam Inc.'s depot, known as "The Engine Shed", where locomotives and rolling stock are restored and displayed, and the society is also one of the few operators of steam-hauled excursions on New Zealand's national railway network. Steam Incorporated, often abbreviated to Steam Inc. ... Great Western Railway No. ... Rolling Stock banner Rolling Stock was a newspaper of ideas and a chronicle of the 1980s published in Boulder, Colorado by Ed Dorn and Jennifer Dunbar Dorn. ... One of the last mainline steam locomotives built in the UK: British Railways Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 no. ... // National Rail Network The national rail network (currently owned by a State-Owned Enterprise, the New Zealand Railways Corporation) was constructed largely by government entities from 1863 onwards. ...

One of the Southern Hemisphere's largest car collections is at the Southward Car Museum in Otaihanga, and a popular ridable miniature railway operates in Raumati Marine Gardens. southern hemisphere highlighted in yellow (Antarctica not depicted). ... Sir Len Southward (who died on 19 February 2004) achieved success with speedboats before settling down to collect cars. ... Zooline Railroad St. ... Raumati Marine Gardens is a public park in Raumati Beach on New Zealands Kapiti Coast. ...

Links

• Kapiti Coast web page with maps
• History of US Military in New Zealand