About  Us

The earliest known inhabitants of the Hīmatangi area were the Rangitāne iwi, who are believed to have settled in the wider Manawatū region around 500 years ago. According to Rangitāne tradition, the name Hīmatangi comes from a legend about the warrior chief Matangi, who fished up and defeated a taniwha responsible for eating members of his whānau. The creature was said to have lived in a lake near what is now Rangiotu, about 19 km from Hīmatangi Beach. The verb hī (to fish) was combined with Matangi’s name to form Hīmatangi.

The coastline that would become Hīmatangi Beach served as a seasonal gathering place for Māori, who camped here to harvest fish and shellfish. Their presence is recorded in large shell middens — piles of discarded shell — which form an important archaeological record of the area’s past. Hundreds of middens have been discovered behind the first two rows of sand dunes, marking where the shoreline sat in the 1800s. Older middens lie near a chain of inland lagoons 4 km from the current coast, showing where the beachline was roughly 500 years ago.

At around 20 km wide, the Hīmatangi sand dunes make up New Zealand’s largest sand-country area — and they are still expanding. Strong westerly winds and coastal currents continue to push sand inland and westward, slowly shifting the coastline. Once, these dunes were covered with native grasses and vegetation, but grazing introduced by European settlers from the 1850s onward caused much of this natural stabilisation to disappear.

This created challenges for landowners Robert Wilson and Kenneth Dalrymple, who farmed extensive areas along the Hīmatangi coastline in the early 20th century. In 1910, they drained the wetlands around Lake Kaikokopu to create better grazing land. The stream created during this process is now a popular spot for whitebaiters. Wilson also introduced marram grass, which continues to be used today to stabilise the shifting dunes.

By the early 1900s, the name Hīmatangi applied to all land between the Manawatū River and State Highway 1, including the junction leading to Palmerston North known as Hīmatangi Corner. Around 1935, Palmerston North detective Ted Barling purchased 650 acres of sand country from Dalrymple and 200 acres of beachfront from Wilson, with the vision of creating a beach resort. By 1941, he had drawn up plans including a 2.5-mile access road from Hīmatangi Corner, a reserve of 25,000 planted pine trees, and designated areas for a surf club, playground, tennis courts, the store, and other amenities that still form the heart of the village today.

As Barling sold sections, the village slowly took shape. However, building a community on shifting sand led to ongoing challenges. In the 1990s, dunes grew so large that they threatened homes — dramatic photos from the time show sand piling up against house doors. After years of discussion, the Manawatū District Council and the New Zealand Army stepped in to move and level the dunes.

Today, local volunteers continue to work alongside the Council on a planting programme designed to stabilise the dunes and enhance the natural environment. Over time, these efforts — planting trees and coastal-friendly vegetation — are expected to transform Hīmatangi Beach into an increasingly picturesque and resilient coastal village