NGATEA Ngatea is a small town on state highway 3 that continues to survive. One of Ngatea’s key features is the Water Garden and is worth the visit. Ngatea has a hotel, War Memorial and church. Ngatea is the 'service centre' for the farming area of the Hauraki Plains. It was established in the 1900s as a result of a unique series of canals and stop banks which drained the land and produced rich farmlands for dairy production. Ngatea has various tourist attractions around the area, both historical and new. For example, the Ngatea water gardens, peat dome, and the gem stone factory.