Raukokore is a small settlement close to the
East Cape in the northeastern
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. It is located on
State Highway 35, close to the mouth of the
Raukokore River
The Raukokore River is a river in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. it flows north from the slopes of Mount Hikurangi, reaching the sea at Papatea Bay close to the small settlement of Raukokore
Raukokore is a small settlement close ...
, 40 kilometres to the west of
Hicks Bay
Wharekahika or Hicks Bay (officially Wharekahika / Hicks Bay) is a bay and coastal area in the Gisborne District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 150 km east of Opotiki and 186 km north of Gisborne city, along Stat ...
.
Raukokore's most notable feature is its
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
church, Christ Church, a landmark of the East Cape region, which stands isolated close to the shore of
Papatea Bay. The church was named as one of the East Cape/Gisborne region's "101 must-do" sites by the
New Zealand Automobile Association.
The church was designed and built by Duncan Stirling in 1894. Stirling married local Raukokore chief
Mihi Kōtukutuku in the church in 1896. The church is listed as a Category 1 Historic Place by
Heritage New Zealand.
Raukokore is administered by the
Ōpōtiki District Council
Ōpōtiki District Council or Opotiki District Council ( mi, Te Kaunihera o Ōpōtiki) is the territorial authority for the Ōpōtiki District of New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific ...
.
Marae
The settlement is in the ''
rohe'' of the
iwi of
Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and has two
marae affiliated with local ''
hapū''. Te Maru o Hinemaka Marae and Pararaki meeting house is affiliated with
Te Whānau a Pararaki. Wairūrū Marae and Hinemahuru or Mihi Kōtukutuko meeting house is affiliated with
Te Whānau a Maruhaeremuri.
In October 2020, the Government committed $205,700 from the
Provincial Growth Fund to develop Wairūrū Marae, creating 8 jobs.
Notable people
*
Taika Waititi -
Academy Award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter and actor
References
External links
Image of Raukokore Church from TrekEarth site
Ōpōtiki District
Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region
{{BayofPlenty-geo-stub