Ikamatua is a small village on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. Its name translates literally as ika (fish) and matua (mature/parent). It may be a contraction of Te Ika-a-matua, fish of my ancestor.[1]

Ikamatua
town
State Highway 7 passing through Ikamatua
Ikamatua
Coordinates: 42°16′17.13″S 171°41′3.77″E
Country	New Zealand
Region	West Coast
Territorial authority	Buller District
Electorates	West Coast-Tasman Te Tai Tonga
Time zone	UTC+12 (New Zealand Standard Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

It is located on the State Highway 7 inland route, 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Greymouth and 28 kilometres (17 mi) south of Reefton. It has a population of under 200.[2]

In 1946, 4 km north of Ikamatua, the floating Grey River gold dredge dug its way across State Highway 7, and the main Greymouth to Westport railway link, to move into its new mining area in the Blackwater Valley. This was the first and only time that such an event has occurred in New Zealand.[3]

In 1906 Ikamatua had two sawmills, a creamery, a railway station and a school.[4]

References

External links

• Media related to Ikamatua at Wikimedia Commons
• more information on Ikamatua

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