Tapawera began its life when the Nelson Section railway edged down the Motueka Valley at the opening of the 20th century.

Before the railway construction in the area the Ferry Inn at the ford crossing of the Motueka River was the only building in the vicinity.

The railway construction camp was situated there for several years and was named Maniaroa after a nearby farming property.

A butchery and bakery were followed by a grocery store, and in 1902 the Upper Motueka Valley School was relocated to Maniaroa using a traction engine.

Tapawera was soon acting as a centre for the surrounding area, supplanting Upper Motueka Valley as the largest settlement beyond Spooners.

Upper Motueka Valley lost not only its pre-eminence but its name when it was renamed Mararewa after the station.

[3][4] Generally agriculture has surrounded Tapawera but berry growing has been notable up the Tadmor Valley.

Hop growing has been a feature of the Rakau area towards Tadmor for about a century and has boomed in recent years nearer Tapawera itself so that there are hop farms along the Motueka Valley Highway between the township and Kohatu, from the township heading towards Motueka, and up the Tapawera-Baton Road.

[7] Tapawera's facilities include a school, a Four Square supermarket, a hotel (bar and restaurant), a cafe, a campground, a petrol station, a fitness centre and a vehicle workshop.

After seven kilometres there is the Siberia Flat campsite and the Wangapeka Track starts 1 km further on, at the Rolling River carpark.

The trail starts in Nelson and takes cyclists to Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield, and through the 1.4 km-long Spooners Tunnel to Kohatu.

From Tapawera cyclists can now journey on a picturesque route up Tapawera-Baton Road, which further up the valley follows the Wangapeka River.

There is work still to be done on the next section but cyclists follow the Motueka West Bank Road to Riwaka.