About Tuakau
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About Tuakau
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Location: Tuakau is situated near the north bank of the lower section of the Waikato River in the Franklin District. It is bisected by State Highway 22 and the North Island Main Trunk rail line, 56km south of Auckland. State highway 22 is often used as a tourist trail to get from New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, to the lower half of the North Island. How to get there
Main Industries: Tuakau is a servicing and distributing centre for the surrounding farming area where the main activities are dairying and sheep farming, market gardening, fruit growing, and poultry farming. The town contains the country's largest cattle auction yard by turnover.
Weather: Tuakau receives relatively mild weather on a world scale. In summer it can average in the high 20s while in winter it hovers around 10oC and can receive frosts (but not snow!).
Population: Tuakau is a small town with a population of just over 3,000. Of these nearly 40% are Maori and this is reflected by the town's marae (Maori meeting house) and park artwork.
Language & Currency: New Zealand has two official languages, English and Maori, however almost all New Zealanders speak English. The currency is the New Zealand dollar which is worth - 0.78 Aust dollar 0.30 UK pound 0.51 US dollar (October 1999)
History: The area around Tuakau has long been associated with the Waikato Maori. From the 1830s on Europeans began settling the Waikato and converting the bush into farmland. Tuakau was established as a small flax-milling town on the side on the Waikato River because on the transportation benefits the river gave it. In the early 1860s there was a campaign by British troops against the Waikato Maori and evidence of the war can be seen in Tuakau at Alexandra Redoubt.After its initial growth the town population has grown slowly as it has become a service centre for the agriculture based activities of its hinterland.
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