Motatau or Mōtatau is a locality in the

Northland Region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...

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 ...

of New Zealand.

Maromaku Maromaku is a locality in the Northland Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Kawakawa is north, and Towai is southeast. runs past Maromaku to the north, and the North Auckland Line runs through it. Demographics The Maromaku locality is ...

is to the east. The Taikirau Stream flows from east through Motatau and then runs northwest to join the Waiharakeke Stream. The

North Auckland Line The North Auckland Line (designation NAL) is a major section of New Zealand's national rail network, and is made up of the following parts: the portion of track that runs northward from Westfield Junction to Newmarket Station; from there, wes ...

runs through Motatau. The name is

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 ...

for "to speak to oneself". Motatau has two

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 ...

. Mōtatau Marae and Manu Koroki are a meeting place for the

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

hapū In Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief and normally opera ...

Ngāti Hine Ngāti Hine is an iwi with a rohe in Northland, New Zealand. It is part of the wider Ngāpuhi iwi. Its rohe (tribal area) covers the areas of Waiomio, Kawakawa, Taumarere, Moerewa, Ruapekapeka, Motatau, Waimahae, Towai, Akeramaa, Pakaraka, O ...

and

Ngāti Te Tāwera 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 ...

. Matawaia Marae and Rangimarie meeting house is a meeting place of the

Ngāti Ngāherehere 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 Te Kau i Mua.

Demographics

Motatau is in an SA1 statistical area which covers . The SA1 area is part of the larger Maromaku statistical area. The SA1 statistical area had a population of 249 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 33 people (15.3%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 15 people (6.4%) 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 72 households, comprising 114 males and 135 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.84 males per female. The median age was 38.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 75 people (30.1%) aged under 15 years, 36 (14.5%) aged 15 to 29, 105 (42.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 30 (12.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 56.6% European/Pākehā, 67.5% Māori, 7.2% Pacific peoples, 1.2% Asian, and 6.0% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 33.7% had no religion, 51.8% were Christian, 4.8% had Māori religious beliefs, 1.2% were Buddhist and 3.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (10.3%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 45 (25.9%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 18 people (10.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 102 (58.6%) people were employed full-time, 15 (8.6%) were part-time, and 6 (3.4%) were unemployed.

Education

Motatau School is a decile 3 coeducational primary school serving years 1–8. It has a roll of students as of The school opened in 1914.

References

{{Far North District Far North District Populated places in the Northland Region