Last updated October 2026
Waimārama is a small seaside village on the Hastings District coast, set beside a long golden beach with Te Motu-o-Kura (Bare Island) offshore. It lies at the end of Waimārama Road, about a 25-minute drive from Havelock North, and works as both a permanent home and a weekender retreat.
Hastings District Council describes it as one of the district’s popular coastal resorts, used for walking, swimming, surfing and fishing, with a general store and mobile phone coverage.
Behind the baches are Waimārama Marae and Waimārama School, so the village is a living hapū community as well as a holiday strip. Summers fill the beach; winters are quiet, with the hills and the island still the view.
Official Locality Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 530, up 9% since 2018
- Land area
- 90.89 km²
- Location
- 20.5 km south-east of central Hastings
- Council
- Hastings District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Maraetōtara, Ocean Beach, Tuki Tuki, Kahurānaki, Elsthorpe
- Ward or local board
- Kahurānaki Ward; Takitimu Māori Ward for voters on the Māori roll
- Getting there
- By car on Waimārama Road from Havelock North, about 25 minutes, passing Craggy Range. No train or ferry.
- Main shopping
- Village general store. Supermarkets and most other shops are in Havelock North or Hastings.
- Schools
- Waimārama School, a co-educational state primary on Taupunga Road
- Nearby landmarks
- Waimārama Beach, Te Motu-o-Kura (Bare Island), Waimārama Marae, Waimārama Domain
Who Lives in Waimārama
About 530 residents in 190 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
In Waimārama
Places and businesses inside the official Waimārama boundary.
Places
About Waimārama
Check two practical points before a beach day. Vehicles are restricted on part of the sand, including a seasonal daytime ban, and the water can hold strong rips. Waimārama Surf Life Saving Club patrols the beach in the summer months, from November through to March. Swim between the flags when lifeguards are on duty.
The settlement is small, and that is the point of it. Hastings District Council describes permanent residents living alongside a larger weekend and picnic crowd, with the beach as the reason most people come.
The drive from Havelock North follows Waimārama Road through hill country, past Craggy Range, before it drops to the coast. Offshore, Te Motu-o-Kura is the landmark that fixes the view. On a settled day, boaties use it and the nearby reefs for fishing and diving.
Waimārama Marae, at 12 Taupunga Road, and its meeting house Taupunga (also known as Te Taupunga o Takitimu) are the cultural centre of the village. The marae is a meeting place for the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū of Ngāti Hikatoa, Ngāti Kurukuru, Ngāti Urakiterangi and Ngāti Whakaiti.
Marae tradition holds that the Tākitimu waka anchored here, and that the house takes its name from that anchor stone. Waimārama School, at 27 Taupunga Road, uses the same hapū in its pepeha and works with the marae, the local kōhanga reo and the beach as part of daily school life.
Day to day services are limited, which suits some people and not others. A general store covers basics. Waimārama Domain, reached from Harper Road and Moori Road, has public toilets, picnic tables, a free barbecue and a playground, and the surf club is based on Moori Road.
Mobile phone coverage reaches the village. For supermarkets, secondary school, and most appointments, residents drive back over the hill to Havelock North or Hastings.
Getting Around
The practical way in is by car. From Havelock North, take Waimārama Road through the hills. Hastings District Council puts that drive at about 25 minutes. There is no train or ferry to the village, and council sources do not list a scheduled bus, so plan on driving or arranging a lift.
Inside the village, Taupunga Road holds the school and the marae. The domain entrances are Harper Road and Moori Road.
Nearer Havelock North, an off-road cycle trail runs along Waimārama Road between Te Mata Road and Craggy Range. It reinstated part of the Tukituki loop on the Hawke’s Bay Trails. That trail does not continue to the coast, so it is a ride in the hills, not a bike path to the beach.
History and Heritage
The school’s pepeha names Te Whanganui-a-Tara as the mountain, Waingōngoro and Pouhokia as the waters, Tākitimu as the waka, and Waimārama and Taupunga as the marae and house. Marae accounts trace occupation to before the migratory waka, with lines back to early ancestors including Kupe, Paikea and Tara.
Tradition says four tohunga came ashore from Tākitimu and set up houses of learning, and that the coast was already held by Ngāi Tara, Rangitāne, Ngāti Awa and Muaūpoko when Ngāti Kahungunu later moved into Hawke’s Bay.
The marae’s history describes fighting south of the Tukituki, including at Matanginui, followed by marriage alliances that shaped the hapū of today. It names Tiakitai as a rangatira who kept the home fires at Waimārama when other Heretaunga leaders moved away, and records that his younger brother, Harawira Te Tatere Mahikai, was among the chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
The account stresses a long, unbroken link between these hapū, the land and the coast, and a tradition of holding the land rather than selling it.
Waimārama School opened in 1906 and is still the state primary for the village. Holiday baches grew along the beach through the twentieth century, and many have become permanent homes, while the sand stayed a regional picnic and surf destination.
On 28 April 2011, heavy rain caused floods and mudslides in the village, a reminder that streams and the coast here can rise quickly.
Getting Outdoors
The beach is the outdoor life of the village, not a separate attraction from it. Council describes long stretches of golden sand used for walking, jogging, swimming, surfing and fishing, and notes that the beach yields pipi.
Shellfish limits and any local restrictions change, so check the current rules before gathering. Swimmers should treat rips seriously and use the flagged area when the surf club is on duty.
Waimārama Domain is the public reserve beside the sand: toilets, tables, a free barbecue and play space, rather than a large sports ground.
Beyond the village, Hawke’s Bay Tourism promotes the Waimārama Heritage Trail, a drive of a little over 120 kilometres through the hills southeast of Hastings, linking viewpoints, reserves and historic places. Waimārama and Te Motu-o-Kura are among the stops. Driving on the beach itself is a separate matter.
A seasonal ban runs from 8am to 8pm, from Labour Weekend until 30 April, on a mapped section. A 20 km/h limit applies on Hastings beaches. Quad and motorbike riders must wear helmets, and pillion passengers are not allowed on quad bikes.
The bylaw is enforced by police, and council has consulted the community on tighter rules, so confirm the latest map before you take a vehicle onto the sand.
Near Waimārama
Just outside Waimārama, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Where to Learn More
Hastings District Council: Waimārama Beach: Beach access notes, the general store, and the bylaw rules for vehicles on the sand.
Hastings District Council: Waimārama Domain: Toilets, picnic facilities, playground, domain entrances and summer surf patrol months.
Waimārama Marae: Origins of Waimārama: Hapū account of Tākitimu, earlier iwi, and the rangatira who held the coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waimārama part of Hastings?
Yes. It is a coastal locality in Hastings District, reached from Havelock North, not a suburb of the urban centre.
How do I get to Waimārama?
Drive Waimārama Road from Havelock North. Hastings District Council puts the trip at about 25 minutes, passing Craggy Range. There is no train or ferry, and no scheduled bus is listed by the council.
Is there a shop in Waimārama?
Yes. The village has a general store. For supermarkets and most other shopping, people go to Havelock North or Hastings.
What school is in Waimārama?
Waimārama School, a co-educational state primary at 27 Taupunga Road. It opened in 1906 and works closely with the marae. Secondary schooling is not provided in the village.
Who are the tangata whenua of Waimārama?
Waimārama Marae and the house Taupunga are associated with the Ngāti Kahungunu hapū Ngāti Hikatoa, Ngāti Kurukuru, Ngāti Urakiterangi and Ngāti Whakaiti. Marae tradition also records earlier occupation by Ngāi Tara, Rangitāne, Ngāti Awa and Muaūpoko.
What does the name Waimārama mean?
It is a Māori name. Published glosses differ, including clear or bright water and moonlight on water, and this guide does not treat one translation as official.
Is the beach patrolled, and can I drive on it?
Waimārama Surf Life Saving Club patrols from November through to March. Swim between the flags when lifeguards are on duty, and expect rips. Driving is limited by bylaw: a seasonal daytime ban on a mapped section from Labour Weekend to 30 April, a 20 km/h limit, helmets on quads and motorbikes, and no pillion passengers on quads. Check the council beach page before you drive down.
What is Waimārama like to live in?
It is a small beach village with a marae, a primary school and a general store, busy in summer and quiet in winter. Everyday services mean a drive to Havelock North or Hastings. The coast, the domain and the hill road are the daily setting.
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Explore Hastings only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Waimārama is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.