Last updated October 2026
Pukehamoamoa is a rural locality in Hastings District, on farming country where Matapiro Road leaves Taihape Road and runs inland from the Heretaunga Plains. The local school writes the name Pukehāmoamoa. There is no village centre here: daily life turns on farms, school runs and the rural road network.
The clearest public landmark is the full primary school at 11 Matapiro Road. People living in the area, or passing through, will find a quiet plains-edge settlement whose shops and most services are back in Hastings.
Official Locality Facts
- Land area
- 38.00 km²
- Location
- 16.9 km north-west of central Hastings
- Council
- Hastings District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Puketapu, Sherenden, Crownthorpe, Omahu, Dartmoor, Fernhill
- Getting there
- By road on Matapiro Road, which meets Taihape Road. A Ministry-funded school bus, run by Tranzit Coachlines, serves entitled pupils on one circuit south of the school.
- Main shopping
- No shopping centre in the locality. Everyday groceries and services are in Hastings.
- Schools
- Pukehāmoamoa School (also recorded as Pukehamoamoa School), 11 Matapiro Road: state co-educational full primary, Years 1 to 8.
- Nearby landmarks
- Pukehāmoamoa School; Pukehamoamoa Bridge, recorded by council as Bridge 244; the Taihape Road junction with Matapiro Road.
About Pukehamoamoa
Pukehamoamoa sits in the rural part of Hastings District, away from the city streets and closer to the inland roads that serve farms between the plains and the hill country. Official records use the form Pukehamoamoa.
A published meaning for the name was not confirmed, so it is better left untranslated than guessed. What is clear on the ground is a working rural area, not a township with a main street.
The school is the public face of the place. Pukehāmoamoa School is a state full primary at 11 Matapiro Road, RD 9, Hastings 4179, and it is still operating. Its own site describes a small country school that works closely with parents and whānau, and it publishes a community newsletter. The office phone is 06 874 3830 and the office email is of****@*********ol.nz.
Children who live in the published home zone are entitled to enrol. That zone, effective from 12 September 2007, covers the corner of Ohiti Road and Taihape Road to 1661 Taihape Road, including adjacent roads; Matapiro Road as far as Omapere Road; the eastern end of Crownthorpe Settlement Road to 1022 Crownthorpe Settlement Road; and Ohiti Road, Omapere Road and Kawera Road.
The school site is also on the public record as Crown land held for education. A New Zealand Gazette notice of 16 August 2022 set apart 1.6137 hectares, being Part Lot 1 DP 3863, for education purposes at Pukehamoamoa School, Matapiro Road, Pukehamoamoa, in Hastings District. That notice records the land status. It is not a founding date for the school.
Wider rural services sit with Hastings District Council and with halls run by local committees. The Rural Community Board, first formed in 1992, is the council body for rural roads, berms, culverts, bridge repairs and rural halls.
Further along Matapiro Road, the Matapiro and Districts Recreation Hall at 1288 Matapiro Road is one of the district’s community-managed rural halls. It serves the wider Matapiro district rather than acting as a shop or civic centre inside Pukehamoamoa itself.
Getting There and Around
Access is by private vehicle. Matapiro Road is the local road, and it meets Taihape Road near the school. There is no rail station and no town bus stop to describe. For school travel, the school states that Tranzit Coachlines runs one circuit south of the school.
The service is Ministry-funded, and there is no charge for children who are entitled to it. Families inside the entitlement zone are asked to contact the school office if they want a place on the bus.
These are rural roads, used by farm vehicles as well as school traffic. Rapid numbers are spread out, so a short drive on the map can still be a long run between gates.
Hastings is the place for supermarkets, hardware, health services and most sport. The school’s own notices point families toward Hastings facilities, including Mitre 10 Sports Park, for some inter-school sport.
Roads, Halls and Rural Recovery
Cyclone Gabrielle hit this inland road network hard. A Hastings District Council briefing to the Matapiro community recorded a wing-wall failure at Bridge 244, named Pukehamoamoa, with a temporary repair already in place to reduce scour and a permanent repair then being designed.
The same briefing recorded serious damage on Matapiro Road, including the section from Taihape Road to just past Crownthorpe Settlement Road, and listed slips and damaged bridges on Taihape Road. That document is a recovery record, not a live status report. Check Hastings District Council road information before you rely on a particular bridge or side road.
Community rooms in this part of the district are not council drop-in centres. Hastings District Council lists rural halls as independently managed, and bookings go through the local custodian.
For the hall on Matapiro Road, the council venues list names the Matapiro District Recreation Society. Rural road faults, culverts and bridge issues are the sort of matter the Rural Community Board is set up to hear, alongside the council’s ordinary road channels.
Near Pukehamoamoa
Just outside Pukehamoamoa, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Where to Learn More
Education Counts: Pukehamoamoa School: official school profile, including the published home zone.
New Zealand Gazette: the land notice setting apart the Pukehamoamoa School site for education purposes.
Hastings District Council: venues to hire: rural hall addresses and the community groups that take bookings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Pukehamoamoa?
It is a rural locality in Hastings District, reached along Matapiro Road from Taihape Road. It is farming country, not a township with a main street.
Is the name spelled with a macron?
Official notices and the school’s legal name in the Gazette use Pukehamoamoa. The school’s own website uses Pukehāmoamoa. Both refer to the same school and area.
Is there a school in Pukehamoamoa?
Yes. Pukehāmoamoa School at 11 Matapiro Road is a state full primary for Years 1 to 8. Children living in the published home zone are entitled to enrol, and out-of-zone places depend on space.
Is there a school bus?
Yes. The school says Tranzit Coachlines runs one Ministry-funded circuit south of the school, at no charge for entitled pupils. Contact the office on 06 874 3830 to check entitlement.
Are there shops in Pukehamoamoa?
No local shopping centre was identified. Groceries, hardware and most services are in Hastings.
Is there a public hall in the locality?
The nearest listed community hall is the Matapiro and Districts Recreation Hall at 1288 Matapiro Road. It is managed by a local society and booked through the hall contact on the council venues list, not through a Pukehamoamoa village office.
Who looks after rural roads and bridges?
Hastings District Council is responsible for local roads. The Rural Community Board, formed in 1992, advises on rural roads, berms, culverts, bridge repairs and rural halls.
Can I assume the local roads and Pukehamoamoa Bridge are fully repaired?
No. Council recovery notes record cyclone damage at Bridge 244 and on Matapiro Road and Taihape Road, including a temporary bridge repair. Check Hastings District Council for the latest road status before you travel.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Hastings only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Pukehamoamoa is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.