Haast, New Zealand
Haast is a town on the West Coast of New Zealand, located at 43°52′49″S 169°2′24″E / 43.88028°S 169.04000°E. It is spread amongst three small localities called Haast township, Haast Beach and Haast Junction and is located close to the mouth of the Haast River. The 2006 census recorded a population of 297.[1] The main economic activities are farming, fishing and tourism. It is set within the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage site. The town is named after Julius von Haast.
European settlement of the area dates back to the 1870s. It was not until the 1960s that Haast had formed roads connecting it to the rest of New Zealand (the road to Wanaka opening in 1966).[2] Previously, Haast was serviced by rough tracks from the North and East, as well as by ship.
The Haast visitor centre offers a wide range of information about the surrounding area.
The rare Haast Tokoeka is found in the mountains near Haast.
References
- ^ "West Coast Region Final Counts". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
- ^ A Wheel on Each Corner, The History of the IPENZ Transportation Group 1956-2006 - Douglass, Malcolm; IPENZ Transportation Group, 2006, Page 12
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