Matamata

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Matamata
Coordinates: 37°49′S 175°46′E / 37.817°S 175.767°E / -37.817; 175.767
Country	New Zealand
Region	Waikato
Territorial authority	Matamata-Piako District
Ward	Matamata
Electorate	Waikato
Government
- MP	Lindsay Tisch (National)
- Mayor	Hugh Vercoe
Population
- Urban	6,309
Time zone	NZST (UTC+12)
- Summer (DST)	NZDT (UTC+13)
Postcode	3400
Area code(s)	07

Matamata is a rural Waikato town in New Zealand with a total population of around 12,000 (6,000 in rural areas, 6,000 in the township). It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata Piako district Matamata-Piako District Council, taking in the surrounding rural areas as well as Morrinsville and Te Aroha.

State Highway 27 and the Kinleith Branch railway run through the town.

A nearby farm was the location for the Hobbiton set in Peter Jackson's film trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. The New Zealand government decided to leave the Hobbit holes built on location as tourist attractions, since they were designed to blend seamlessly into the environment. They have no furniture, but can be entered, and vistas of the farm can be viewed from inside them.^[1] A "Welcome to Hobbiton" sign has been placed on the main road. By an unusual coincidence, the world's only other Matamata – Matamata, Tunisia – was a site used during filming of George Lucas's Star Wars trilogy.

Matamata is well known for its wide streets.

Matamata is also the home of various media outlets, including studios for tvCentral, TV Rotorua and iTV Live, which is unusual for a town of such size.

Contents 1 New Zealand Representatives 2 Media 3 Schools 4 External links 5 See also 6 Other villages in Matamata area 7 References

[edit] New Zealand Representatives

• Brendon Leonard - All Black
• Grant McQuoid - New Zealand Sevens
• Anne Taylor - Silver Fern
• Casey Williams - Silver Fern
• Lance O'Sullivan - Jockey
• Nicola Browne - White Fern

[edit] Media

• tvCentral
• Scene
• Matamata Chronicle

[edit] Schools

All Town Schools

• Contact Details

Secondary Schools/Colleges

• Matamata College

Intermediate Schools

• Matamata Intermediate

Primary Schools

• Hinuera School
• Firth Primary School
• Matamata Primary School

Pre School & Kindergarten

• Mill Crescent Kindergarten
• Rawhiti Kindergarten

Religion Based Schools

• Matamata Christian School
• St Josephs Catholic School

[edit] External links

• Matamata i-SITE Information Centre
• Firth Tower Museum & Estate
• Matamata Sports Centre

[edit] See also

• List of towns in New Zealand

[edit] Other villages in Matamata area

• Hinuera
• Peria
• Turanga-o-moana
• Te Poi
• Waharoa
• Walton
• Wardville

[edit] References

Coordinates: 37°49′S 175°46′E / 37.817°S 175.767°E / -37.817; 175.767