Poukawa: Kahikatea Farm, Culture and Nature

Kahikatea Farm is in Poukawa; cultural traditions and natural attractions offer additional perspectives on the area. You can choose where to visit based on which of these perspectives best suits your trip.

Kahikatea Farm and guided tour

Kahikatea Farm covers 16 acres in the Poukawa Valley in Hawke’s Bay. The guided tour takes visitors through gardens and a food forest, introducing them to permaculture and ecological principles. The tour therefore combines a walk through the designed areas with an explanation of these principles.

Tour dates and prices may change, and current availability is not guaranteed. Check whether a date is being offered before making plans. This makes the farm tour a concrete point of reference for planning your trip, without assuming that a particular date will be available.

Cultural traditions and history in the surrounding area

According to one traditional explanation, the name Poukawa is made up of “pou,” meaning stake, and “kawa,” meaning lean or tasteless eels. This interpretation connects the place name with a cultural tradition preserved by Kahuranaki Marae.

Te Wheao Pa is located near Te Hauke School, in the Poukawa area. Young chiefs from the area received training in culture and warfare there. The original Greenhill Homestead on the road towards Bridge Pa is associated with a different historical account: members of royal families stayed there during their visits to New Zealand. The two connections relate to different themes—training at the pa and stays at the homestead.

Lake, wetlands and views

Nearby Lake Poukawa is a large, shallow lake covering 195 hectares that supports a traditional Māori eel fishery. Under normal weather conditions, its water level can fluctuate considerably; the water flows north through Pekapeka Wetland. The lake, fishery and watercourse give the surrounding nature both a cultural and a scenic dimension.

Pekapeka Wetlands offer walking tracks and information panels, as well as opportunities to observe native waterbirds, including the rare Australasian Bittern. Pekapeka Regional Park has a publicly accessible central area with tracks and boardwalks. A lookout there offers panoramic views across the valley. Check current conditions at the site before visiting.

Pekapeka Regional Park is 4.5 kilometres long, 800 metres wide and covers 98 hectares. Protected bird species found there include the New Zealand Dabchick and the Australasian Bittern, the latter considered very rare. The park also has more than 82 plant species, including native and introduced plants, as well as weeds. These details describe different aspects of the area: its size, birdlife and plant diversity.

For views across the Lake Poukawa basin and the surrounding hills, Burma Road runs through Orangihukai Valley to the crest of the Raukawa Range. The climb extends for more than 4 kilometres; from the crest, panoramic views stretch across the lake basin and hills. This is a different landscape experience from the tracks and boardwalks in the central area of Pekapeka Regional Park.

The wider Hastings District

In the wider Hastings District destination, the Heritage Trails of Hastings pass through cultural, historical and scenic highlights. A Hastings District Council post dated 4 May 2026 describes them as open year-round, free to access and available without booking. Check these details before visiting.

Other options in the Hastings District offer different experiences: visitors can drive along Te Mata Peak Road to the summit of Te Mata Peak. The Hawke’s Bay Trails are among New Zealand’s 23 Great Rides and offer 200 kilometres of easy cycling routes through the Hastings District and Napier. Elephant Hill offers a wine-tasting experience featuring wines from Hawke’s Bay. These examples help distinguish between cultural and scenic themes, a drive to the summit, cycle trails and wine tasting, without attributing them to Poukawa itself.

Discover more destinations: Clive, Maraekakaho, Te Awanga, Tuki Tuki, Hastings, Karamu, Kahuranaki, Waiwhare

For the wider travel overview: Hastings District.