Horowhenua District
Horowhenua District is a territorial authority district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, administered by Horowhenua District Council. Located north of Wellington and Kapiti, it stretches from slightly north of the town of ...
of the
Manawatū-Whanganui
Manawatū-Whanganui (; spelled Manawatu-Wanganui prior to 2019) is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, whose main population centres are the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Manawat ...
region of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
's
North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
Palmerston North
Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...
, and six kilometres west of Foxton. Foxton Beach has a permanent population of around 2000 people. The town is a popular holiday destination due mainly to its beach and the bird sanctuary at the Manawatu Estuary. Most of Foxton Beach is made up of holiday homes.
History
Te Wharangi was a large
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
settlement at the location and a riverside fishing station where canoes could be tied up.
European settlement began in the 1840s, when it became a staging point for horsedrawn travel along the coast between
Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
and
Whanganui
Whanganui (; ), also spelled Wanganui, is a city in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand. The city is located on the west coast of the North Island at the mouth of the Whanganui River, New Zealand's longest navigable waterway. Whangan ...
. It later became a centre for export of
flax
Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
and timber by steamer.
Demographics
Foxton Beach is defined by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area and covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km².
Foxton Beach had a population of 1,884 at the
2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 264 people (16.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 183 people (10.8%) since the
2006 census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 822 households. There were 912 males and 972 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.94 males per female. The median age was 57.7 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 228 people (12.1%) aged under 15 years, 165 (8.8%) aged 15 to 29, 822 (43.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 669 (35.5%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 89.8% European/Pākehā, 16.9% Māori, 1.3% Pacific peoples, 1.0% Asian, and 1.4% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities).
The proportion of people born overseas was 8.3%, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 52.9% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 0.2% were Hindu, 0.5% were Buddhist and 2.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 165 (10.0%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 516 (31.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,800, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 597 (36.1%) people were employed full-time, 207 (12.5%) were part-time, and 54 (3.3%) were unemployed.
Geography and nature
Foxton Beach is located on the Manawatu Estuary at the mouth of the Manawatu River. The style of houses built in new subdivisions indicate that the permanent population is growing.
The estuary is a
Ramsar site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
godwits.
The council has built storm surge protection consisting of concrete barriers and small hill-like barriers with a path on top, which are connected to Sunset Walk, a riverside walkway.
Recreation
The river has recreation opportunities such as bird watching, water skiing and fishing. Manawatu Marine Boating club is located at the Foxton Beach Wharf on the river. Holben / Te Wharangi Reserve has a playground, soundshell (stage) and skate park.
The beach is popular for swimming in summer and is patrolled by the Foxton Surf Life Saving Club.
Education
Foxton Beach School is a coeducational state full primary school (years 1-8) with a roll of () and a decile rating of 3.
The nearest secondary school is
Manawatū College
Manawatū College is a state secondary co-educational high school in Foxton, New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () an ...