Foxton

FOXTON ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Foxton Information

Foxton is a town in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand. It is located on the lower west cost of the North Island. The town is in the Horowhenua district, 30 kilometres southwest of Palmerston North and 15 kilometres north of Levin. The town is located close to the banks of the Manawatu River.

One of Foxton's key attractions is the Flax Stripper Museum; a tour of the museum includes seeing the machinery in operation and includes a newsreel video from the 1940's. A photographic display shows the production of carpets and woolpacks from flax. This working machinery is still put to practical use with flax being stripped for people who want fibre for furniture-making, packing and Maori crafts.

Another major attraction is the De Molen Windmill an exact working replica of a traditional 17th century Dutch flourmill and the nearby Manawatu River estuary and wetland is of international ornithological significance. Foxton Beach is also a popular destination for swimming, surfing and fishing.

Foxton History

Foxton was named after Sir William Fox who has a history of flax stripping. Other industries associated with the town have included clothing manufacture and sawmilling.

Foxton is the oldest settlement in the southern Manawatu, although it was not always sited where it currently is. The original site of the town was to the east, closer to the town of Shannon in 1842. The town was moved to its present site in 1885. In the early years of European settlement it was an important trading post and shipping port.

Main Towns in the Manawatu Region

Other Towns in the Manawatu Region