A note on the Motueka Catchment
The Motueka catchment is recognised, both nationally and internationally, as an area of outstanding natural beauty and ecological importance. It is the subject of a detailed technical report compiled jointly by Landcare Research, New Zealand, the Cawthron Institute, University of Vermont (USA) and Tasman District Council, publ. May 2003, which forms the basis for on-going study. The report characterises the catchment as predominantly rural (the only significant urban centre being the small township of Motueka at the river mouth). It is dominated by native (35%) and exotic (25%) forest, with smaller areas of pastoral grassland (19%), scrub (12%) and tussock grasslands (7%). Ecologically significant areas of wetland are found at the coast and scattered throughout the catchment.

Pastoral land is used mainly for sheep grazing (52%), beef production (26%), with limited, but increasing dairying. Of horticultural land, 46% is in pipfruit (mainly apples and kiwifruit), 18% in berryfruit, 16% in hops, 16 % in vegetables and 4% in other crops. Tobacco growing was introduced in the 1920s, production peaked in the 1960s, declined rapidly in the next decade, and ceased altogether in 1995. More recently deer farming, vineyards and marine farming have added substantially to the diversity and productivity of the local economy.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Maori groups first settled the coastal Motueka River area around 1350AD. Europeans first visited the area around 1840; the first European house in the Motueka valley was built in 1853; planned settlements began in the 1860s. At this time much of the area was covered in totara,, rimu, kahikatea and beech forest. By 1878 large areas had been deforested to support grazing, and there were about 70 permanent settlers in the catchment by that time. Major gold finds in the Baton flats and the Wangapeka caused a short-term influx of people in the mid-19th century. Gold mining continued until the early 1900s, and evidence of tailings, machinery and house sites remain today.

Today, the Motueka catchment is widely used for recreational activities, which include trout fishing, eeling, whitebaiting, tramping, canoeing, rafting, hunting (notably wild pigs), swimming, picnicking, camping, caving, rock and fossil hunting and scenic drives. Kahurangi National park, Mt. Richmond Forest Park and the Motueka River itself are especially important recreational areas (as, too, is the adjoining Abel Tasman National Park, to the north-east).

The Motueka River is a nationally important recreational fishery for brown trout, with a reputation for producing high numbers and large size of trout, while the Wangapeka is notable for producing relatively abundant trophy-sized trout. The Wangapeka is regarded as a regionally important fishery, being highly rated for its scenic beauty, easy access, large area of fishable water and high level of solitude.

The Motueka catchment contains a wide variety of heritage sites, including areas of significant native vegetation and habitats for native fauna, freshwater ecosystems, outstanding natural features and landscapes, and historic sites. The area as a whole is rated of outstanding value for a wide variety of birdlife, ranging from forest to freshwater wetland and coastal wetland species. Amongst the outstanding natural features and landscapes within the area, 6 are rated as being of international importance, a further 7 of national importance, and a further 13 of regional importance.

The farmlet, together with the nearby village of Tapawera, lie in the very centre of this unique area.