REGION
Onaero, Waitara, and Bell Block
Mokau
Ahititi 3
ONAERO Onaero is a settlement in northern Taranaki, located on State Highway 3 close to the shore of the North Taranaki Bight. WAITARA An impressive natural feature of the largest town in North Taranaki is the Waitara River, which flows through the town’s heart. Waitara was one of the first areas in the region to be settled by Māori; consequently, it has some important heritage sites. The banks of the river were the scene of a significant battle during the Taranaki Land Wars of the 1860s that involved over 2000 people. BELL BLOCK This rapidly growing beachfront residential town was named after Francis Dillon Bell, the New Zealand Company’s resident agent in Taranaki from 1847–48. In the 1970s, extensive subdivisions expanded the town so that it effectively became part of New Plymouth.
Waitara Urenui New Plymouth Ōakura 3 3A Whangamomona Inglewood Ōkato 3 45
Stratford Toko
43
3
Ōpunake 45
Eltham Manaia Hāwera 3
Kakaramea Pātea Waverley Waitotara
MUST-DO EXPERIENCES INCLUDE: • Walk over the Bertrand Rd suspension bridge that crosses the Waitara River, linking Huirangi, near Lepperton and Tikorangi. The original bridge was built in 1897 and rebuilt in 1927 after flood damage. • Enjoy a game of mini-putt based on the layout of the famous Mount Panorama track at Bathurst and view an impressive collection of Holden cars and memorabilia at the Hillsborough Holden Museum near Bell Block. 7
