Children fish from Māpua wharf in 2010. In the late 1800s Māpua was an important coastal port. From around 1920 it got much busier in autumn, as apples grown in the Moutere hills were shipped out from there. As roads improved apples were trucked to Port Nelson instead. The Māpua cool stores and other buildings have been converted into restaurants, galleries and shops, revitalising the area.