Heretaunga Plains

Location of the Heretaunga Plains

There are two places in New Zealand called Heretaunga. For the suburb of Upper Hutt see Heretaunga.

The Heretaunga Plains are an area of flat land in the eastern North Island of New Zealand.

The alluvial plains were formed by the Tutaekuri, Ngaruroro and Tukituki Rivers as they flow to the Pacific Ocean at the southern end of Hawke Bay. They extend inland to the southwest, taking in an area of about 1000 km². The towns of Napier, Hastings, Taradale and Havelock North are located on the plains, which extend almost to Waipukurau.

The fertile soil and warm, dry climate of the area make the plains an excellent site for vineyards, orchards and gardens and the southern Hawke's Bay region is one of New Zealand's wine producing areas.