Matarakau, Chatham Islands Map

About Matarakau, Chatham Islands

Matarakau is a settlement on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It lies approximately 30 km north-northeast of Waitangi, the regional capital. Matarakau is located at 43.7333°S, 176.3500°W. It observes Chatham Islands Time (CHAST/CHADT).

Matarakau rests on a broad, undulating plain, its contours softened by the gentle sweep of the land towards a distant, yet palpable, coastal influence. It lies 725.0 km south-east of Hastings (from Hastings: bearing 131°T). The air here carries a subtle salinity, a whisper from Skirmish Bay seven kilometres to the east, and the light, particularly as the day wanes, possesses a unique softness, gilding the scattered stands of native bush with a warm, amber hue. Rolling hills, cloaked in a patchwork of emerald pasture and darker swathes of gorse, frame the horizon, their peaks often softened by a veil of mist that seems to cling to the land like a memory. The distant murmur of the ocean is a constant undercurrent, a reminder of the island’s elemental relationship with the vast Pacific.

The economic sinews of Matarakau are woven from the resilient threads of sheep and beef farming, the land yielding its bounty under the wide, often dramatic, Chatham Islands sky. History whispers in the weathered fences and the stoic lines of the farmhouses, remnants of generations who carved a living from this sometimes unforgiving terrain. While the nearest significant body of water is Rangitahi Lake, a four-kilometre journey inland, the true heart of Matarakau beats in rhythm with the sea, its proximity shaping the very character of the place, influencing the hardy spirit of its inhabitants and the quiet hum of its daily life.

About This Matarakau Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Matarakau, Chatham Islands, New Zealand — switch between views using the small square in the bottom left-hand corner of the map. Coordinates: -43.73333, -176.35. Live weather conditions with current observations and a 7-day forecast are powered by Open-Meteo. Real-time New Zealand and world news feeds keep the page current, while an editorial description provides background on Matarakau.

Matarakau sits within the Chatham Islands Region. Location data is drawn from the GeoNames geographical database and verified by coordinates, ensuring the correct Matarakau is identified even where the name is shared across multiple New Zealand localities.