Te Puru is a locality on the western side of the

Coromandel Peninsula The Coromandel Peninsula ( mi, Te Tara-O-Te-Ika-A-Māui) on the North Island of New Zealand extends north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier protecting the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the we ...

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 ...

. State Highway 25 runs through it. Tapu lies about 7 km to the north, and

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

is about 12 km to the south. The Te Puru Stream and about 18 tributaries drain a steep hilly 23 km² area of the

Coromandel Range A true-colour image showing Auckland city (left), the Hauraki Gulf (centre) and the Coromandel Peninsula (right). The scene was acquired by NASA's Terra satellite, on October 23, 2002. The Coromandel Range is a mountain range running the length ...

, almost entirely covered by native forest. It runs through the settlement and into the

Firth of Thames The Firth of Thames ( mi, Tikapa Moana-o-Hauraki) is a large bay located in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the firth of the rivers Waihou and Piako, the former of which was formerly named the Thames River, and the town o ...

to the west. Flooding has been a problem. Te Puru track runs between Te Puru and Tapu-Coroglen road, intersecting with Waiomu Valley and Crosbies Main Range tramping tracks on the way.

Demographics

Te Puru is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers . Te Puru is part of the larger Thames Coast statistical area. Entry to Te Puru Track

Te Puru had a population of 537 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 (6.5%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 3 people (−0.6%) 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 228 households, comprising 267 males and 270 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female, with 66 people (12.3%) aged under 15 years, 45 (8.4%) aged 15 to 29, 222 (41.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 201 (37.4%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.9% European/

Pākehā Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...

, 20.1%

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 ...

, 1.7% Pacific peoples, 2.8%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, and 2.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 56.4% had no religion, 30.7% were

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

, 1.1% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, 0.6% were

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

and 3.4% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 60 (12.7%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 141 (29.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 33 people (7.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 135 (28.7%) people were employed full-time, 78 (16.6%) were part-time, and 24 (5.1%) were unemployed.

Thames Coast statistical area

Thames Coast statistical area, which also includes Tapu, Waiomu, Thornton Bay and Ngarimu Bay, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Thames Coast had a population of 1,704 at the

, an increase of 171 people (11.2%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 6 people (−0.4%) since the

. There were 717 households, comprising 846 males and 858 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 58.1 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 198 people (11.6%) aged under 15 years, 162 (9.5%) aged 15 to 29, 735 (43.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 606 (35.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.6% European/

, 19.0%

, 1.8% Pacific peoples, 1.8%

, and 2.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 14.4, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 53.0% had no religion, 34.0% were

, 0.7% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.2% were

, 0.2% were

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

, 0.7% were

and 2.3% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 234 (15.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 372 (24.7%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $22,900, compared with $31,800 nationally. 141 people (9.4%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 471 (31.3%) people were employed full-time, 258 (17.1%) were part-time, and 60 (4.0%) were unemployed.

Education

Te Puru School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a roll of students as of

History

Te Puru suffered severe flooding in 2002, when a low-pressure system led to extensive flooding on the Coromandel Peninsula and the south-west Waikato region.NIWA - June 2002 Upper North Island Weather Bomb
Te Puru and Waiomu were included in the ‘high impact’ area of the storm.
Private and public property was damaged during the flood.

References

External links

Te Puru School website
{{Thames-Coromandel District Thames-Coromandel District Populated places in Waikato Populated places around the Firth of Thames