Anakiwa has two public wharves, each with a public boat ramp. There are a total of 5 publicly accessible boat ramps along the Anakiwa foreshore. There are numerous lodges, backpacker, and bed & breakfast accommodation within the village, as well as a seasonal store which caters to Queen Charlotte track hikers, as well as other visitors. Public toilets are located metres from the entrance to the Queen Charlotte track, along with a payphone in a small kiosk shelter. Other nearby services, within a 7 km radius, in the Linkwater valley include a Challenge Petrol station & store; camping ground with cabins; motel; primary school; community hall; and a rural fire station. Havelock is the nearest town, being 20 kilometres west with a 25-minute drive. Picton is 22 kilometres east, accessible by road for 35 minutes. The major centre of Blenheim is 59 kilometres south, a 56-minute drive, and is where the main airport is which serves the region.
History
Anakiwa had long been a Māori settlement, most recently occupied by members of the Ngāti Rāhirihapū of Te Ātiawaiwi until 1859 when they returned to Taranaki, at least in part to fight in the First Taranaki War. In earlier centuries, the Ngai Tara iwi had influence over the area. It was included in the New Zealand Company's deed of purchase in 1839, though there is doubt that the chiefs of the region understood the document or that it was correctly translated. In 1864, the New Zealand Government granted land to the Beauchamp family for farming in Anakiwa. In 1928 the family built a guesthouse on the site, which was purchased with donated funds by Hamish Thomas as the site for Outward Bound New Zealand. It was opened as "The Cobham Outward Bound School" in 1962 by Governor-General Lord Cobham. Tirimoana is a settlement within Anakiwa which was originally known as the Tirimoana Subdivision of the farm lands that once occupied the area to the south and west of Outward Bound School. Boundary Gate Corner which is 3.25 kilometres from the Queen Charlotte Drive intersection, marked the boundary between the two farms in the early 1900s, and a gate once stood here across the access road. Today, there is a sign and bench seat which marks this location.
