Ōtaki is a town in the

Kapiti Coast District The Kapiti Coast District is a local government district of the Wellington Region in the lower North Island of New Zealand, 50 km north of Wellington City. The district is named after Kapiti Island, a prominent island offshore. The popu ...

of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, situated half way between the

capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, to the southwest, and

Palmerston North Palmerston North (; mi, Te Papa-i-Oea, known colloquially as Palmy) is a city in the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Manawatū-Whanganui region. Located in the eastern Manawatu Plains, the city is near the north bank of the ...

, to the northeast. Ōtaki is located on

New Zealand State Highway 1 State Highway 1 (SH 1) is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the of ...

and the

North Island Main Trunk The North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) is the main railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, connecting the capital city Wellington with the country's largest city, Auckland. The line is long, built to the New Zealand rail gauge of and ser ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

between

and

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

and marks the northernmost point of the

Wellington Region Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of T ...

. The construction of the

Kapiti Expressway The Kapiti Expressway is a four-lane grade-separated expressway on New Zealand's State Highway 1 (New Zealand), State Highway 1 route through the Kapiti Coast north of Wellington. From the northernmost terminus of the Transmission Gully Motorwa ...

and the

Transmission Gully Motorway The Transmission Gully Motorway () is a , four-lane motorway north of Wellington, New Zealand; it is part of the State Highway 1 route. Construction began on 8 September 2014 and completion was originally scheduled for April 2020, but contractu ...

are currently underway and will cut traveling times to Wellington. The New Zealand

Ministry for Culture and Heritage The Ministry for Culture and Heritage (MCH; ) is the department of the New Zealand Government responsible for supporting the arts, culture, built heritage, sport and recreation, and broadcasting sectors in New Zealand and advising government on ...

gives a translation of "place of sticking a staff into the ground" for .

History

Since the early 19th century, the area has been home to

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

of the

Ngāti Raukawa Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupo and Manawatu/Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa. History Early history Ngāti Raukawa reco ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

who had migrated from the

Kawhia Kawhia Harbour (Maori: ''Kāwhia'') is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southw ...

area from about 1819, under the leadership of

Te Rauparaha Te Rauparaha (c.1768 – 27 November 1849) was a Māori rangatira (chief) and war leader of the Ngāti Toa tribe who took a leading part in the Musket Wars, receiving the nickname "the Napoleon of the South". He was influential in the original ...

. They had supplanted the

Rangitāne Rangitāne is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe). Their rohe (territory) is in the Manawatū-Whanganui, Manawatū, Horowhenua, Wairarapa and Marlborough Region, Marlborough areas of New Zealand.Muaūpoko Muaūpoko is a Māori iwi on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Muaūpoko are descended from the ancestor Tara, whose name has been given to many New Zealand landmarks, most notably Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington). His people were known as Ng� ...

people. At the request of Te Rauparaha, missionaries

Henry Williams Henry Williams may refer to: Politicians * Henry Williams (activist) (born 2000), chief of staff of the Mike Gravel 2020 presidential campaign * Henry Williams (MP for Northamptonshire) (died 1558), Member of Parliament (MP) for Northamptonshire ...

and

Octavius Hadfield Octavius Hadfield (6 October 1814 – 11 December 1904) was Archdeacon of Kapiti, Bishop of Wellington from 1870 to 1893 and Primate of New Zealand from 1890 to 1893. He was a member of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) for thirty years. H ...

visited the area in December and Hadfield opened the first mission in the Wellington Region at Otaki. At the nearby Raukawa

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

is the Rangiātea Church, the original of which was completed in 1851. Burnt down in 1995, it was completely rebuilt by 2003. The Reverend James McWilliam was Clergyman in charge of the Maori Mission in Otaki under the Church Missionary Society of England from 1868 to 1906 with the support of his wife,

Emily McWilliam Emily Anna McWilliam ( or Cauty; 1840–1899) was the first woman to be granted a divorce under New Zealand domestic law. She was noted for her community work as a nurse, practitioner of homeopathy and fundraiser for the Otaki cottage hospital. A ...

Marae

The community has two

, affiliated with the iwi of

Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

and its hapū. Te Pou o Tainui Marae and Kapumanawawhiti meeting house are affiliated with the hapū of Ngāti Kapumanawawhiti. In October 2020, the Government committed $159,203 from the

Provincial Growth Fund Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician. He served as a New Zealand First list MP from 2017 to 2020 and was previously a Labour list MP from 2005 to 2014. Jones was a cabinet minister in the Fifth Labour Gove ...

to upgrade the marae, and create 12 jobs. Raukawa Marae and meeting house are affiliated with the hapū of Ngāti Korokī, Ngāti Maiotaki and Ngāti Pare. In October 2020, the Government committed $337,112 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae, and create 12 jobs. Pukekaraka Marae in Ōtaki was the site of a Catholic mission from 1842. It includes the Roma meeting house, built in 1904, and Hine Nui O Te Ao Katoa meeting house, built for tangi and larger gatherings in 1905. The marae has been used by both

and Muaupoko. In October 2020, the Government committed $143,984 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the site, creating an estimated 8 jobs.

Demographics

The statistical area of Ōtaki covers , It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Ōtaki had a population of 3,489 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 390 people (12.6%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 636 people (22.3%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 1,416 households. There were 1,641 males and 1,848 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.89 males per female. The median age was 43.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 759 people (21.8%) aged under 15 years, 552 (15.8%) aged 15 to 29, 1,335 (38.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 843 (24.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 67.3% European/Pākehā, 41.4% Māori, 6.4% Pacific peoples, 5.9% Asian, and 1.8% other ethnicities (totals add to more than 100% since people could identify with multiple ethnicities). The proportion of people born overseas was 12.8%, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people objected to giving their religion, 50.4% had no religion, 35.5% were Christian, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.8% were Buddhist and 4.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 435 (15.9%) people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 570 (20.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $23,200, compared with $31,800 nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,029 (37.7%) people were employed full-time, 387 (14.2%) were part-time, and 126 (4.6%) were unemployed.

Geography

The town is situated at the northern end of the Kāpiti Coast, close to the banks of the

Ōtaki River The Ōtaki River is in the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It originates in the Tararua Range and flows for , heading southwest through a valley in the Tararua Ranges. It turns northwest in the area of Ōtaki Forks, where it is joined ...

, 4 kilometres from its outflow into the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...

. The surrounding district includes

Te Horo Te Horo and Te Horo Beach are two localities on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand's North Island. Te Horo Beach is the larger of the two settlements and, as its name implies, is located on the Tasman Sea coast. Te Horo is located to the east, a sh ...

and

Manakau Manakau is a settlement in the Horowhenua District, at the boundary of the Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington regions of New Zealand's North Island. It lies 8 km north of Otaki and 12 km south of Levin, and is connected to both vi ...

and the beach settlement at Waikawa Beach. The district is agricultural, with market gardens and lifestyle blocks. The economy of the town includes service industries for the rural community. Ōtaki has two local newspapers – Ōtaki Today and the Ōtaki Mail.

Features

Ōtaki is home to Te Wānanga o Raukawa a

Tikanga Māori Tikanga is a Māori concept incorporating practices and values from mātauranga Māori, Māori knowledge. Tikanga is translated into the English language with a wide range of meanings — culture, custom, ethic, etiquette, fashion, formali ...

university. It also hosts the annual Māoriland Film Festival and Otaki Kite Festival. and is home of The Ōtaki-Māori Racing Club. established in 1886.

Ōtaki Forks Ōtaki Forks is a rural locality in the Kapiti Coast District of the Wellington Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located at the confluence of the Ōtaki River with its tributaries Waiotauru River and Waitatapia River. It is 18 km so ...

is the western gateway to the Tararua Forest Park. It offers recreational activities ranging from short walks, swimming, rafting and kayaking to advanced tramps of 3 – 5 days duration, including the Southern Crossing that ends at

Kaitoke Kaitoke (sometimes called Pakuratahi), part of Upper Hutt City, is a locality in the southern North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the northern end of the Hutt Valley, 45 kilometres northeast of Wellington City and six kilometres from the ...

45 km northeast of Wellington. Ōtaki Beach spans the stretch of coastline between the Ōtaki River and the Waitohu Stream, with a residential community of both permanent and holiday homes. The beach is popular for surfing, swimming, recreational fishing, horse riding, walking and photography.

Sports

Otaki Golf Club established in 1901, is a links style 18 hole golf course located at the northern end of the historic Old Coach Road. Otaki Surf Life Saving Club actively patrols the beach during the summer. Other sports facilities include rugby, rugby league, netball, swimming, wakaama, water polo, football, squash, and tennis.

Community

The Māoriland Film Festival which began in 2014 is held annually in Otaki with a focus on indigenous film content. The Otaki Museum is located at 49 Main Street in the former BNZ building and provides access to local history collections, oral histories, photographs and documents.

Infrastructure and services

Both

State Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbere ...

and the

railway passes through the town, connecting it with Paraparaumu and Wellington to the south and Levin, Palmerston North and ultimately Auckland in the north. The highway through the town and especially the roundabout with Mill Road are a known traffic bottleneck; at holiday periods, Wellington-bound traffic can queue for up to north of the roundabout. The Peka Peka to Ōtaki section of the

began construction in July 2017. When completed in late 2022, the expressway will allow State Highway 1 through traffic to bypass the town. Electra operates the electricity distribution network in Ōtaki. The town is normally supplied from Transpower's national grid at its Paraparaumu substation, but can be switched to be supplied from the Mangahao substation near Shannon. The town's fresh water supply is drawn from three groundwater bores.

Education

Early Learning Schools

Ōtaki Montessori School is a co-educational pre-school for children from ages 2–6. Ōtaki Early Learning Centre is a co-educational pre-school for children of age 2 and above.

Primary schools

Otaki School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students. with a roll of as of . St Peter Chanel School is a co-educational state-integrated Christian primary school for Year 1 to 8 students. with a roll of .

Kura Kaupapa

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito is a co-educational state Māori language immersion school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of as of . Te Kura-a-iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano is a co-educational state Māori language immersion school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of .

Secondary school

Otaki College is a co-educational state secondary school for Year 7 to 13 students, with a roll of as of .

Notable people

Vincent Bevan Vincent David Bevan (24 December 1921 – 26 May 1996) was a New Zealand rugby union player. Early life Bevan was born in the Horowhenua at Otaki, about halfway between Wellington and Palmerston North, and was the son of Winifred Bevan and Le ...

, New Zealand and Wellington rugby-union player. *

Iain Hewitson Iain "Huey" Hewitson (born 4 October 1948), is a New Zealand-born chef, restaurateur, author and television personality who moved to Australia in 1972. He is best known for his television involvement with Network Ten. He was also the face of sup ...

, Australian TV chef. * Carla Van Zon, artistic director. * Sir William Walkley, oil-company executive. *

Inia Te Wiata Inia Morehu Tauhia Watene Iarahi Waihurihia Te Wiata (10 June 191526 June 1971) was a New Zealand Māori bass-baritone opera singer, film actor, whakairo (carver) and artist. Early life Inia Te Wiata was born in Ōtaki, New Zealand, into the ...

* Felicity Frockaccino, (Shay Evans) Drag Entertainer & TV personality.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in the Wellington Region Kapiti Coast District