Bridge Pā
The pā itself comprises approximately 70 households, a school, a Mormon church, two marae (Korongata Marae and Mangaroa Marae), a cemetery and a disused quarry. The earthguake struck at 11:34PM and caused minor damage to Bridge Pa, Hastings, Flaxmere, Havelock North and caused no damage to Clive and/or Napier. The attractive rural setting experiences between -3°C frosts in winter (usually clearing to clear crisp days) to 40°C heat in late summer.Wineries that produce wine in this area include: Alwyn Corban and Garry Glazebrook of Ngatarawa Wines pioneered wine production in the area in the 1980s and it is only with the growth of other boutique wineries in the late 1990s that the Bridge Pā Triangle has been delineated and named. Wines grown include Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
There is no sewerage or metropolitan style water reticulation. Coordinates: 39°38′59″S 176°45′22″E / 39.649738°S 176.756195°E / -39.649738; 176.756195 Bridge Pā is a rural Māori settlement and surrounding area in Hawke s Bay, New Zealand, located approximately 10 kilometres inland from Hastings.
Bridge Pā is approximately 20 km from the coast, and with the central North Island mountain ranges of the Ruahines and Kawekas to intercept the prevailing westerly winds, the region enjoys a Mediterranean climate with around 2350 sunshine hours per annum and very low humidity. Bridge Pā Triangle is a grape growing area roughly delineated by three roads: Ngatarawa Road, State Highway 50 and Maraekakaho Road. Wastewater is treated via individual homeowner septic tanks. Bridge Pā is situated on flat land on the Heretaunga Plains with the major geographical feature of the township being the Karewarewa Stream.
The area is also sometimes described as The Maraekakaho Triangle and The Ngatarawa Triangle. In ancient times the area was blanketed by the pumice tephra of numerous Taupo volcanic events.
Much of the Triangle area covers the historical (pre-1860s earthquake) riverbed of the nearby Ngaruroro River. Bordering Ngatarawa Road and to the north of the area along State Highway 50 is the world famous Gimblett Gravels wine growing area. .
Located on the edge of an unconfined aquifer, the surrounding land is free-draining and is used for sheep grazing, horticulture and wine production. Unfortunately on the 4th of January 2008, Bridge Pa suffered from an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the richter scale. The surrounding area includes an aerodrome, two golf clubs, a car club, and a Deer Stalkers hall.
As such soil types include Ngatarawa Gravels, Takapau Silty-loam (free draining red metal of mixed alluvial and volcanic origin) and shallow clay-loam soils with underlying deep free draining pumice. A relatively large tract of the surrounding rural area (up to 5 km from the pā) is also classified as Bridge Pā by local authorities and Telecom s White Pages. The main road through the town is limited to 50 km/h and traffic is slowed through a variety of traffic calming measures.
As well as the main settlement centred on the intersection of Maraekakaho Road and Raukawa Road, a satellite settlement is located on Ngatarawa Road (near the Valentine Road corner) and on State Highway 50 (near the corner with Maraekakaho Road in the shadow of Roy s Hill). It is recognised as a premium wine growing area in the Hawke’s Bay region.
