Ngawi (pronounced "ngaa-wee") is a small fishing / holiday village within five kilometres of

Cape Palliser Cape Palliser is a promontory on the southern coast of New Zealand's North Island and is the southernmost point of the North Island; it is in fact considerably farther south than Nelson or Blenheim in the South Island. It is located at the eas ...

, the southern-most point of New Zealand's North Island. The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of ''Ngāwī'' as "the native tussock grass". The area is popular with commercial and recreational fishermen. The fishery includes paua (a type of abalone which is prized for its iridescent shell as well as the flesh), crayfish, and cod. Ngawi has more bulldozers per capita than anywhere else. The bulldozers are used to haul fishing boats into and out of the water as there is no wharf or other access to the ocean other than the beach, which can be notoriously rough. Crayfish (also known as rock lobster) are caught commercially for live export. In 2011, there were around a dozen commercial fishermen working from Ngawi, but most did not live in the village. The village comprises mainly small wooden houses, called baches. The population is much larger during the summer season, when all the holiday homes are occupied. There are no shops in Ngawi, and the nearest school is at

Pirinoa Pirinoa is a rural community east of Lake Wairarapa, in the South Wairarapa District and Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It includes the rural settlement of Pirinoa, and the coastal settlement of Whāngaimoana. Marae Kohunui M ...

, around to the north. Ngawi is known for its exposed climate, its intense and prolonged wind and the fact that there are almost no trees nearby. The weather can be extremely hot in summer. Several ships have been wrecked on the rough coastline. Ngawi

In May 2006, filmmaker Peter Salmon shot a short film called 'Fog' in Ngawi. Salmon was drawn to the area's unique landscape and isolated feel. 'Fog' premiered at Critic's Week at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

in 2007. It stars Joe Dekkers-Reihana, Chelsie Crayford Preston, Jim Moriarty and Tina Cook.

References

{{South Wairarapa District South Wairarapa District Populated places in the Wellington Region