Mahana

Mahana brings together wine, nature and traces of history that reveal different sides of the area. When deciding where to travel, it is worth distinguishing between these themes: some historic buildings are not open to the public, while wine tastings and wine sales are available at Gravity Cellars. In the wider travel region, the Moutere Hills provide a further landscape setting.

Historic buildings and visitor access

The Harvey Hop Kiln and the Worker’s Hut in Mahana were built in 1939 and 1944, respectively, and are significant historic buildings. The Hop Kiln retains original hop-drying equipment, including a horsehair drying screen. This distinctive feature helps illustrate the building’s former use. The kiln is visible from George Harvey Road in Mahana, but access to the property is private and not open to the public.

Somerset Farm Settlers Cottage is also a building with a rich history: this picturesque cob house with a thatched roof dates from the late 1850s to the early 1860s. As a house museum, it offers insight into the early years of British and German settlement in Sarau (Upper Moutere) and is associated with the pioneering Harvey and Bensemann families. The cottage is not open to the public. If you are interested in settlement history, it is therefore helpful to distinguish its historical significance from the possibility of visiting it.

Landscape, wetland and wine

West of the Waimea Plains, the Moutere Gravels form low hills stretching from the Spooners Range in the south to Mahana in the north. The Moutere Hills were formed from weathered deposits of an ancient river system and are known for aromatic, flavoursome wines. These regional landscape features add context to Mahana without conflating the hills with individual offerings in the area.

The Stringer Recreation Reserve at 135 Stringer Road in Mahana is a natural attraction in its own right. It is primarily for quiet recreation and community gatherings, as well as for protecting and enhancing a remnant freshwater wetland. Its purpose therefore includes both recreation and protection of this habitat. It offers a different focus for choosing your travel interests from the historic buildings and wine theme.

Mahana Hills Vineyard is a family-run, one-hectare vineyard set in protected native bushland under the QEII protection programme. Those interested in wine and the surrounding landscape can find here a specific example of viticulture in Mahana. Wine tastings and wine sales are available at Gravity Cellars, 243 Old Coach Road, Mahana 7173. When planning your trip, you can weigh up the wine-related visitor offering against the area’s nature- or history-related themes without assuming they form a single experience.

An additional local reference: Upper Moutere

Upper Moutere is 3 km from Harakeke in Mahana. It is home to The Moutere Inn, New Zealand’s oldest pub still operating in its original building. The distance is therefore measured from Harakeke as the reference point. Upper Moutere adds another local point of reference and the pub’s distinctive historical standing.

When looking for a holiday home, these distinctions may help you choose a destination: are you especially interested in wine, the freshwater wetland or settlement history? Mahana offers several clearly distinct themes, while access to its historic buildings varies. As you plan, consider which of these local stories you would most like to explore and which offerings are explicitly accessible.

More places to discover: Marahau, Upper Moutere, Brightwater, Motueka, Kikiwa, Takaka, Nelson Lakes National Park, Mapua.

For the wider travel overview: Tasman District.