Rangiwahia is a small, elevated, farming settlement in the North Island, New Zealand, 26 km (16 mi) northeast of Kimbolton in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

[4] It has several scenic reserves, an arts centre, a church, fire station, tennis court, playground, public toilets, halls and a camp site.

[5] Until settlement in the 1880s, there was dense forest, dominated by red beech (Nothofagus fusca, or tawhai raunui).

[10] A 2012 Crown Forestry Rental Trust report says Ngāti Apa claimed the area and concludes that "the Crown employed methods – notably pre-title advances, selective payments, and notifications – to draw all owners into the sale and purchase process and to exercise a large measure of control over the prices which the original owners received."

[11] The archaeology map shows only one site in a large area east of the Rangitīkei valley,[12] but Block No.

He and Charles Feild, on a Government party making the road through Kimbolton for the Palmerston North Small Farm Association, had seen the block from Peep-o-Day.

[14] Dudley Eyre was secretary of the Association[14] and collected £1,057 in survey fees,[18] but absconded with the money to the USA[19] in 1888.

[26] An 1897 report said the Pemberton Improved-farm Settlement was mostly under grass, with 13 farms, 43 people, 112 cattle, 10 horses, 19 pigs and 654 sheep.

[33] Rangiwahia once also had a garage,[34] saddlery, blacksmith, butcher, butter factory, sale yards, halls, schools, boarding houses, 3 churches, saw mills,[30] a rugby club with 2 teams, tennis courts, a golf club (until 1997) and Frank Heise's hotel, which was used by skiers until it burnt down in 1958.

On 14 November 1921 the local MP and Minister of Lands, David Guthrie, unveiled a memorial to 21 World War I soldiers alongside the hall.

The hall still has a matai floor and tennis courts, a camp site, public toilets and the old school's playground beside it.

[59] Just inside the Domain fence, a row of trees includes a scarlet oak and a copper beech.

[5] Across the road, and now used by the playgroup, the Memorial Hall[30] was opened by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Sir William Bodkin, on 28 April 1954.

[50] There are several scenic reserves nearby, including - The Ian McKean Pinetum contains more than 300 species of conifer on 14 ha (35 acres) between Rangiwahia and Āpiti.

[63] Mangahuia Wetlands, off Main South Road, were built in 1997 by a farmer, who planted exotic and native shrubs and trees.

Bush in the area had been badly damaged by red deer and possums and the ski club had used an Indian motorbike engine, to drive a rope tow above the hut and bulldozed the tussock to smooth the slopes.

After roads to Ruapehu had been improved, the ski club faded away in the 1950s, as Feilding skiers took to the more reliable snow.

[30] Wildlife includes maire,[68] rimu, miro, mataī, kahikatea, tōtara, rewarewa, northern rātā, tree ferns, pīwakawaka, riroriro, kererū, tūī, korimako, miromiro, ruru, kōtare, pīpīwharauroa, silvereye, chaffinch, eastern rosella and kārearea.

[69] Kaikawaka Scenic Reserve is 5.44 ha (13.4 acres),[61] south of Rangiwahia, on Wairaki Street.

[76] Road building was paid for by local rates,[32] though the Immigration and Public Works Act of 1870 provided for a government contribution.