Tapanui

Tapanui is a small town in West Otago in New Zealand's South Island, close to the boundary with Southland region (population 744 as of 2006 census). A forestry town, it lies between the foot of the Blue Mountains and the Pomahaka River. Deer stalking and trout fishing are popular pastimes of the area. For almost a hundred years, the town was serviced by the Tapanui Branch railway line, which despite its name never actually terminated in Tapanui. This line was formally opened in late 1880 and closed after being damaged by severe flooding in the region in October 1978. State Highway 90, which links State Highway 1 at McNab, near Gore, to State Highway 8 at Raes Junction, passes through Tapanui. The town is home to Blue Mountain College, which takes students up to year 13.Nearby locations include Landslip Hill, a fossil-bearing geologic feature.In 2015, Tapanui was a filming location for the Disney production Pete's Dragon, with the main street and old timber mill serving as their equivalents in the fictional town of Millhaven.