Kurow Village
Kurow, population 339 in the 2006 census, is nestled in the Waitaki Valley on the South Island of New Zealand. This tiny hamlet is the gateway to the high country. And though the population is but a handful, Kurow's history is both rich and intricately linked to the majesty of the Waitaki and Hakataramea Valleys. Kurow has been a pioneering town since it was first settled in 1856. In the early 1900s, pip and stonefruit were introduced to the region. It was soon apparent that the area has an ideal growing climate for high quality fruit.
A century later the first grapes were planted in the Waitaki Valley. In 2007, we built the first winery in our valley known as the Kurow Winery. Our grapes are sourced entirely from the Waitaki and Hakataramea valleys.
For a number of decades, Kurow was the terminus of the Kurow Branch, a branch line railway that formed part of New Zealand's national rail network. The railway reached Kurow in 1881, terminating across the Waitaki River in Hakataramea, but in 1930, the line was cut back to Kurow. From 1928 until 1937, a line owned by the Public Works Department ran from Kurow to provide rail access to a hydroelectric project a short distance away.
To learn more about the history of Kurow and our pioneering spirit, be sure and visit the Kurow Museum
