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Mapua Wharf has a bit of a chequered history.
There’s been a wharf here since 1915, primarily to ship out the pip-fruit harvest from the orchards in the area.
The Fruitgrowers Chemical Company was also located in Mapua and between 1930 and its bankruptcy in 1988, it proceeded to comprehensively turn the area into the most polluted site in New Zealand if not the planet.
It’s 3.4 hectares in area and contained 20,000m3 of contaminated soil. Agent Orange appears to be one of the more benign contaminants.
In a massive restoration effort, the Tasman District Council set up a soil treatment plant to reduce the nasties to acceptable levels and everything’s pretty much back to normal
Except – quite understandably – there’s no great rush to use to site commercially.
Or even go anywhere near it.
But apart from that…
The Smokehouse Cafe (formerly Nature Smoke), a fish restaurant specialising in smoking fish over a manuka fire, has been on the wharf for yonks and was joined by Flax, a very fine restaurant run by Karen Greenhough.
In the way that things happen in New Zealand, both restaurants went through a series of owners, chefs and name changes with corresponding variability as far as quality was concerned (from excellent to dire and back to OK), and the most recent iteration appears to be the latter. (Hope so – we’re going to Harbourside (ex Flax, ex-Pukeko, ex-whatever) on Monday with the neighbours).
There’s Hamish’s, (named after the white heron which visits Mapua for 6 months of the year) which does real fruit icecream and the usual cafe stuff.
Plus the excelllent fish and chip takeaway.
And the Golden Bear Brewpub, run by Jim Matanga (shown here, regaling a captivated audience), a relocated Californian.
Really nice concept and the people who turn up there are nice, but I’ve yet to find a beer that I REALLY like.
Either too fizzy (often) or too sweet (last night) or over-hopped (the other night)
Keep trying, though.
The things we connoisseurs are forced to do…..
Mainz Daily Photo 
>I really enjoy this pictures they can take you to this wonderful places just by looking at them really nice work you guys.
>That place seems unreal!! t has been so many time since I don't go to Mapua that.. this pictures bring me so beautiful memories!!
>Awesome pictures, all of the places in the pictures are excellent, the food the service and the beverage.
>I have visited Mapua Wharf twice in my life, and I have to say I stayed shocked with this wonderful place and its paradisaical camping zones. Besides, people is so kind, and the food is simply exquisite.
>I found these photos when I was looking for a page where I can get Viagra Online. They encourage me to visit this place some day.
>Loved that place before it became Flax – something Cafe… Ha! They used to let us have breakfast just before the kitchen closed. Lovely… (DWS, though says they are girls' stuff, he knows all about them.)
>Le Havre? Coolstore? Delicious? Girls' stuff
>Hello??? … tell me you didn't Le Havre, Cool Store or Mapua Store … dws~11
>Lord you do have a problem with brevity. I like the looks of that beer. Period.V