Te Rapa is a mixed light industrial, large-scale retail and semi-rural suburb to the northwest of central Hamilton, New Zealand that is built on a flat area that was previously the bed of an ancient river, the forerunner to the present Waikato River. Stretching in a long, thin north–south axis, Te Rapa is home to many factories including Te Rapa Dairy Factory, one of the largest of its kind in the world. Te Rapa has freight and locomotive depots on the North Island Main Trunk railway.
For the 2018 census there were some boundary changes and north and south are shown above. For comparison, the equivalent 2013 populations were 186 and 120, which is 33 fewer than in the earlier area. The median age is high at 74.5 and income low, largely because 267 live in meshblock 0908100, where Metlifecare's Forest Lake Gardens Retirement Complex has been built since 2001 and the median age is 79 and income $23,300. In 2001 that meshblock had only 39 residents, with a median age of 34.5.
Shops
Post Offices
There are two Post Shops in Te Rapa, at The Base and at Video Ezy, which, until 2018, was one of the last two in Hamilton renting DVDs, Play Station and videos. It is said that until 2014 it was the last venue for original Sony PlayStation game rentals in Waikato.
The Base
Before being given by the government to the Tainui tribe in a Raupatu land settlement in 1995, Te Rapa was also the site of a Royal New Zealand Air Force base. The Te Rapa Air force Base was a major Air Force stores depot. The Te Rapa Air force Base closed in 1992. Te Rapa's shopping area includes The Base, a large scale retail development that opened in 2005 at the site of the former air force base. As of 2006, The Base contained the largest branch of The Warehouse in New Zealand. With the addition of the Te Awa building in 2010, The Base became New Zealand's largest shopping mall, and still is, as of December 2011.
Fonterra Dairy Factory
One of Fonterra's largest dairy factories is to the east of the former SH1 in northern Te Rapa. It started to dry powder in 1967 and was officially opened on 20 April 1968 by New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, which became part of Fonterra in 2001. A butter, cream and cream cheese plant was added in 1997 another cream cheese line in 2013 and another butter line about 2019. It collects up to of milk a day from 1,000 farms. It has around 500 staff, producing roughly 80,000 tonnes a year, including 650 million packets of butter and 33,500 tonnes of cream cheese. Up to of Waikato River water are used in the processing. It is powered by a cogeneration unit, which uses 27 petajoules of Genesisgas over 6 years. The chimneys are over high.
Te Rapa Racecourse
Located in Te Rapa is Te Rapa Racecourse, Hamilton's only remaining horse racing course, and the main racecourse for the Waikato region. It has a symmetrical left-handed track with a circumference of 1788 metres. Facilities and hospitalities include a members' facility and private suites.
Waterworld
Waterworld is a Hamilton city council-owned pool complex in Te Rapa. In addition to the main facilities, the venue also includes a range of other options including a spa, sauna and steam rooms as well as an outdoor playground. Rides offered at Waterworld include The Python Hydroslide, the Twister Slide and The Screamer Speedslides. The complex was officially opened in late 1976, 15 years after Hamilton Jaycees suggested a new swimming pool complex in Fairfield Park. The suggestion led to an adopted proposal in 1964 to mark the city's centennial and in 1973 the decision was made to instead build the complex in Te Rapa.
Transport
Road
Immediately after the invasion of the Waikato, in 1864, there was just a track across the area linking Mangaharakeke Pā and Kirikiriroa Pā. By 1870 bridges had been built over the streams. An 1875 report said the bridges at Waitawhiriwhiri, Mangaharakeke, Beere's Creek and Hall's Creek, between Ngāruawāhia and Hamilton on the Great South Road, had been replaced, or repaired. Until Mangaharakeke Dr opened in 2012, much of the 1860s road, now known as Te Rapa Rd, was part of SH1.
Te Rapa Racecourse opened near the south-west end of the course on 15 October 1924 and may have formally closed, except for transport of horses, on 7 July 1934, with final closure in late 1967. However, although the first excursion seems to have been advertised in October 1924, the last was in November 1943, when wartime restrictions closed racecourses. It seems to have been used only by freight and excursion passenger trains on race days. Aerial photos show that the site of the station and an area to the north was later used for the marshalling yard and then the locomotive and freight depot.
Crawford St depot is linked by rail to local dairy factories at Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Waitoa, Hautapu, Waharoa, Lichfield and Tīrau. It sends about 33,000 containers of milk powder and cheese a year for export via the Port of Tauranga. An automated cool store was added in 2009 to handle about 235,000 tonnes a year.
