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Hurunui Gateway Promotion Association (HGPA)
The Hurunui Gateway area extends from the Hurunui River in the North to the Weka Pass and Waipara River in the South and from Lake Sumner in the West to Scargill and Greta Valley in the East. (North West of Christchurch, about one hour by car).
It includes the villages of Waikari and Hawarden as well as many smaller settlements like Scargill and Greta Valley. The villages are located on the flat, surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Southern Alps in the West and North and the limestone hills of the Weka Pass area. Climbing one of the higher hills can give a superb view all the way to the ocean on the East.
The scenery varies and is unbelievably beautiful.
The area boasts 5 lakes with Lake Sumner the most known. All lakes provide superb fishing in a stunning scenery. So does the Hurunui River.
It is a typical rural area with sheep, deer and cattle farming as the main activity, limited dairy farming, a big pig farm and some vineyards. It is also an area with some stunning older homesteads.
The Hurunui Gateway area offers lifestyle, adventure, sports and a chance to experience the rich history and culture of rural North Canterbury.
Take one of the unsealed back roads and enjoy your ride through rugged unspoiled countryside to Hawarden, a small settlement with a railway history, and great views on both the limestone hills and the Southern Alps.
In line with its objects, the Association has developed this website, with on one side general information about the area (history, scenery etc.) and on the other hand supply information about businesses, trade and community services for both vistors and inhabitants.
If you have questions about our area that you cannot find on the website, do not hesitate to contact us your request (see Contact page) and we will try to answer you the best we can.
We are very thankful to have received and used images from Hurunui Tourism on our website. Hurunui Tourism has its own website which covers the whole Hurunui District www.visithurunui.co.nz