Otoko, New Zealand
Otoko | |
|---|---|
 Pylons from the former Otoko viaduct | |
Interactive map of Otoko | |
| Coordinates: 38°27′45″S 177°38′54″E / 38.4625°S 177.6482°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Gisborne District |
| Ward | Tairāwhiti General Ward |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Gisborne District Council |
| • Mayor of Gisborne | Rehette Stoltz[1] |
| • East Coast MP | Dana Kirkpatrick[2] |
| • Ikaroa-Rāwhiti MP | Cushla Tangaere-Manuel[3] |
| Time zone | UTC+12 (NZST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+13 (NZDT) |
| Postcode | 4092 |
| Area code | 06 |
Otoko is a small settlement west of Te Karaka in the Gisborne District of New Zealand's North Island. State Highway 2 runs through Otoko on its way from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne. In 2023 Otoko (meshblock 1352401) had a population of 57.[4]
History
Artist Peter Williams farmed in the area in the 1960s.[5]
The community was affected by flooding and frosts in August 2016.[6] It also briefly relied on a generator for power after a plane crash in December 2016.[7]
A man's body was found in Otoko in July 2019.[8]
Local roads were upgraded in 2020 with funding from the Provincial Growth Fund.[9]
Railway
Otoko railway station | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Otoko station and viaduct | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Elevation | 195 m (640 ft) | ||||||||||
| Owner | NZR | ||||||||||
| Distance | Gisborne 49.87 km (30.99 mi) | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1 April 1912 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 15 March 1959 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
The Moutohora Branch had a temporary station from 1 August 1910, when the section from Waikohu opened,[10] though passengers and goods had been carried from 17 June 1910. PWD handed over the section to NZR on 29 January 1912 and it was opened on 1 April 1912[11] and officially opened by the Minister of Public Works, William MacDonald, on 6 April 1912, when it was described as an important link in the Gisborne-Auckland railway.[12] Initially there were two trains a day, taking 2½ hours from Gisborne and 2hrs 20mins to return.[13] Otoko remained the terminus until 1 November 1914 when the Otoko–Mātāwai section opened. By 1926 Otoko had a station building, platform, cart approach, 30 feet (9.1 m) x 20 ft (6.1 m) goods shed, loading bank, cattle and sheep yards, water, urinals and a passing loop for 50 wagons. In 1912 a house was provided for locomotive men, in 1913 another cottage and more in 1942 and 1946.[11]
The Moutohora Branch closed on 15 March 1959 and within a year part of the station yard had been used to straighten SH2.[11]
Otoko viaduct
On 21 February 1910 an £11,773 contract was signed with Griffiths & Co, Westport to build Otoko viaduct. A blacksmith's shop was built near the viaduct, with drilling, punching, and planing' machines to prepare the plates for positioning.[14] It was 112 m (367 ft) long and 30 m (98 ft) above the Waihuka River.[15] It was mostly demolished in 1960,[16] but some of the steelwork remains.[17]
1910 Otoko temporary station
and F Class loco
1912 Otoko Viaduct
and Matawai Road
1912 Otoko viaduct
Parks
Otoko Walkway was a conservation reserve and walkway, owned and operated by the Department of Conservation.[18] It largely followed the old railway, but closed in 2024, due to lack of maintenance.[19]
References
- ↑ "Election results". Gisborne District Council. 17 October 2025.
- ↑ "East Coast - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". datafinder.stats.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "Made name as equine artist". Gisborne Herald. 21 August 2018.
- ↑ Miller, Corozan (10 August 2016). "Flooding as big wet sets in around Northland". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald.
- ↑ Livinsgton, Tommy (12 December 2016). "Gisborne prepares for night without power after plane crash downs power lines". stuff.co.nz.
- ↑ "Police seek information after man's body found near Gisborne". New Zealand Media and Entertainment. New Zealand Herald. 6 June 2019.
- ↑ "Thankful for road upgrade at Otoko". Gisborne Herald. 31 October 2020.
- ↑ "Train to Otoko. Poverty Bay Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 1 August 1910. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 Scoble, Juliet. "Station Archive". Rail Heritage Trust of New Zealand.
- ↑ "Railway extension. Poverty Bay Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 April 1912. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "Poverty Bay Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 6 April 1912. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "Along the line. Poverty Bay Herald". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. 30 November 1910. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ New Zealand Railway and Tramway Atlas (First ed.). Quail Map Co. 1965. pp. 3 & 4.
- ↑ "Viaduct Dismantled - Gisborne Photo News - No 68 : February 25, 1960". photonews.org.nz. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "Gisborne - Motuhora Railway: Chris Korte's New Zealand Genealogy Project". cknzgp.net. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ↑ "DOC Places to Go – East Coast". doc.govt.nz. Department of Conservation.
- ↑ "Otoko Walkway". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 February 2026.