Tiakitahuna near Palmerston North: Rural Area Guide to River Flats and a Roadside Rocket

Last updated October 2026

Tiakitahuna is a rural locality in Manawatū District, on the river flats south-west of Palmerston North. It is not part of Palmerston North City, and Manawatū District Council is the local council.

The land is mostly farms and lifestyle blocks, with the Manawatū River along the south-west side and Karere Lagoon, an old oxbow of the river, north of the river.

The settlement once had a store, post office, hall, cheese factory and school, but those services have gone. A model rocket on the corner of Jackeytown Road and State Highway 56 is the visible reminder of that older community. The official name is Tiakitahuna; for many years it was also known as Jackeytown.

Official Locality Facts

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About Tiakitahuna

Tiakitahuna sits at the southern end of Manawatū District, in the Bainesse/Rangiotū community area. Council history places it on the old road and railway link between the port at Foxton and the growing town that became Palmerston North.

The country here was once swamp, native bush and flax, and it flooded. Clearing and drainage turned it into farmland, and agriculture is still what the district is known for.

A pā once stood beside the Manawatū River. The council history records it as part of the locality’s past, and it is not a site you can visit as a standing pā.

The name Tiakitahuna was anglicised to Jackeytown. Older records also spell the road Jackytown or Jacktown. Jackeytown Road is the spelling used on modern property records and in the city archives.

European settlement is recorded from 1868, after land in the district was opened for farming. A small service centre grew up: a general store, post office, community hall, cheese factory and school.

None of those buildings remain in use. The Foxton Branch railway had a station here, which tied the farms to Palmerston North and Foxton until road transport took over.

What you find now is a quiet stretch of river-flat country rather than a village with a centre. Houses sit on farms and lifestyle properties along Jackeytown Road and the side roads. There is no cafe, shop or visitor centre.

The landmark people stop for is the rocket at the highway corner, put up by the local community so travellers would know where Tiakitahuna is and remember the district’s past.

History and Heritage

Manawatū District Council’s community history says Tiakitahuna was established from 1868, and that the pā, store, post office, hall, cheese factory and school have all gone. The city archives record Tiakitahuna School as closing on 30 June 1944. Published dates for the school’s opening do not agree, so that year is best left aside.

The railway station opened on the Foxton Branch on 27 April 1876. Passenger trains ran until 20 August 1932, and the station closed on 19 July 1957. The line had given farms along this highway a way to move people, goods and stock. Once the port at Foxton declined, road transport replaced it.

The rocket stands on the corner of Jackeytown Road and State Highway 56. Manawatū Heritage describes it as a centenary marker for the settlement, and a 1963 photograph already shows it there.

Council history says the community erected it around the time of the first Moon rockets. It was later remodelled and earthquake strengthened, and is painted blue. The remodelled rocket carries the words Tiakitahuna and the dates 1864 and 2014. Those dates sit slightly apart from the council’s “from 1868” for the settlement itself.

Getting Around

The practical way in is by car or bike on State Highway 56, then Jackeytown Road. This is open rural road, not a township street with kerbs, a car park or a bus stop to aim for. There is no railway station to use. Do not expect a village green, public toilets or a place to buy food once you leave the highway.

The wider Bainesse/Rangiotū community has talked with council about better side roads, and about working with others on walking and cycling links. That is a community aim, not a sign that a formed public track network already runs through Tiakitahuna.

If you are only passing, the rocket corner is the obvious place to pull over with care and read the settlement’s name.

The River and Karere Lagoon

The Manawatū River forms the south-west edge of the locality. North of the river, Karere Lagoon is an oxbow lake, one of several left along this part of the river as its course shifted.

Archive captions place Karere at Tiakitahuna, between the river and State Highway 56. Late nineteenth-century photographs show the lagoon beside local farms, including a scene captioned as a lagoon at Karere with a Māori canoe.

This is private farming country rather than a reserve with a formed lakeside walk. Do not assume you can drive to the water or swim there.

The old swamp has been drained, but river flooding is still listed as a leading hazard for the Bainesse/Rangiotū community, along with earthquake, rural fire and a crash on the road. Horizons Regional Council runs flood-warning alerts for the district. Check those before travelling in heavy rain, and do not drive into floodwater on the flats.

Where to Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tiakitahuna part of Palmerston North?
No. It is a rural locality in Manawatū District, south-west of the city, and Manawatū District Council is the local council.

How do you get to Tiakitahuna?
By road, using State Highway 56 and Jackeytown Road. There is no passenger station. The Foxton Branch station closed in 1957.

What is the Tiakitahuna rocket?
A model rocket on the corner of Jackeytown Road and State Highway 56. The community put it up around the time of the early Moon missions to mark the settlement. It was later remodelled and earthquake strengthened, and is painted blue.

Why do some sources say Jackeytown?
Jackeytown is the anglicised form of Tiakitahuna. The road is still Jackeytown Road. Older writing also uses Jackytown and Jacktown.

Is there a shop or school?
No. The store, post office, hall, cheese factory and school have all gone. Tiakitahuna School closed on 30 June 1944. Everyday shopping is in Palmerston North.

What is Karere Lagoon?
An oxbow lake of the Manawatū River, north of the river. Archive records place Karere at Tiakitahuna, between the river and State Highway 56. It is not a formed public reserve.

Can I visit the old pā or railway station?
Neither is a visitor site. The pā is recorded as a former settlement beside the river, and the station closed in 1957. The rocket is the landmark you can see from the road.

Does the area flood?
It was once swamp and subject to flooding, and river flooding is still treated as a main hazard for this community. Check Horizons Regional Council flood warnings in heavy rain, and do not drive into water on the flats.

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Explore Palmerston North only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Tiakitahuna is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.