Hector

Living in Hector

Hector is a small West Coast community on the Buller coast, one of the string of small settlements that sit between the sea and the ranges on the highway north of Westport toward Karamea. The settlement carries the name of Sir James Hector, the geologist whose survey work across New Zealand in the 1860s and 70s earned him a remarkable collection of place names - Hector the town, Hector the dolphin species, Lake Hector, and various geological features - making him the most prolifically commemorated scientist in the country's nomenclature.

The community sits on the narrow coastal strip where the Paparoa Range comes down to the Tasman Sea, with the highway threading between the rock and the water in the manner that the West Coast's coastal road manages throughout its length. The coast here has the dramatic character of the northern Buller coastline: seal colonies, surf beaches, and the kind of weather that the Tasman delivers to the West Coast regardless of the season's stated intentions.

Hector's few hundred residents have the self-sufficient character of small West Coast communities, with Westport providing the full services 20 minutes south and the road north continuing toward the Karamea district. The Hector's dolphin, for the record, was named for the same Sir James Hector, which gives the town an indirect wildlife connection.

Westport's schools serve Hector's families. The dolphins do not attend.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Hector

Schools in zone for Hector

No enrolment-zoned schools cover Hector. The schools below are the nearest options — many operate open enrolment.

Check your school zone

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Hector that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

• Granity School

  Full Primary · roll 28 · decile 3 · 3.8 km away

Stay in Hector

Hector Weather

Current conditions: 4.4°C, clear sky

Hector Community