Waingaro is a rural community in the

Waikato District Waikato District is a territorial authority of New Zealand, in the northern part of Waikato region, North Island. Waikato District is administered by the Waikato District Council, with headquarters in Ngāruawāhia. The district is centred to ...

and

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

region of New Zealand's North Island, on the banks of the Waingaro River, where it is fed by a hot spring.

Demographics

Waingaro is in an SA1 statistical area which covers . The SA1 area is part of the larger Te Ākau statistical area. Waingaro had a population of 180 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 (22.4%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 6 people (3.4%) 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 63 households, comprising 99 males and 81 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.22 males per female. The median age was 47.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 21 people (11.7%) aged under 15 years, 30 (16.7%) aged 15 to 29, 99 (55.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 33 (18.3%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 71.7% 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 Z ...

, and 45.0%

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 ...

. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 51.7% had no religion, 33.3% were Christian, 1.7% had Māori religious beliefs and 1.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 21 (13.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 48 (30.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $19,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 18 people (11.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 69 (43.4%) people were employed full-time, 33 (20.8%) were part-time, and 12 (7.5%) were unemployed.

Marae

Waingaro Paa (Marae) is the meeting place of the local

Waikato Tainui Waikato Tainui, Waikato or Tainui is a group of Māori ''iwi'' based in Waikato Region, in the western central region of New Zealand's North Island. It is part of the larger Tainui confederation of Polynesian settlers who arrived to New Zealand ...

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 op ...

of gaati Tamainupoo, Ngaati Te Huaki and Ngaati Toa Kotara. It includes Ngaa Tokotoru the meeting house. The naming of the wharenui reflects the three Haapu and the Tuupuna that bear their names. In October 2020, the Government committed $2,584,751 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 7 other

marae, creating 40 jobs.

Education

Waingaro School is a co-educational state primary school, with a roll of as of .

Waingaro Hot Spring

Waingaro Hot Spring was closed in 2014, until improvements were made and it reopened in 2016. It has dilute alkaline NaCl-type (salty), , thermal water flowing from early

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

basement rocks at about per minute, probably originating at least deep and sharing a source with Naike and Waikorea, as they all have similar chemical composition. In 1921 this description was given:

Waingaro/ on the coach-road from Ngaruawhahia to the west coast, has waters of the most strictly simple 'thermal' type, containing only 22 grains of solids to the gallon. It is not a 'spa,' though it is used locally and had at one time a great reputation among the Maoris. The outflow of water is very large and the temperature high. There is a large simple immersion bath, with hotel accommodation alongside. ANALYSIS Grains per gallon. : Sodium chloride 6-43 : Silica 7-80 : Total solids 22-66 : Temperature. 130 °F.

In 1942 a corrugated iron shelter, which had covered the spring on the north side of the road, was swept away by a flood. After that the hot water was piped under the road and the present complex of baths built.

Waingaro Landing

The narrow,

gravel road A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. They are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and the Unit ...

from Ohautira Rd to the

boat ramp A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...

and

whitebait Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along coasts, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught using fine- ...

stands at Waingaro Landing now sees little traffic, but was once much more important. Just south of the point where the Waingaro joins the

Kerikeri River The Kerikeri River rises in the Puketi Forest inland from Kerikeri and flows into the western extremity of the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. A long stream flowing into Raglan Harbour in Waikato also has the same name but it is unoffic ...

, there is a record of Waingaro Landing being used by Rev A N Brown in 1834 to travel from

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for it ...

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 ...

. Little changed for another half century. About 1883 a Crown Grant of on the banks of the Waingaro stream was taken on by M. Barton or Patene, then Mr Clarke, then by Sam Picken. Most of it was in heavy bush. Clarke had started clearing it, employing Arthur Moon and Johnnie Douglas. Picken travelled to Huntly by train, crossing the Waikato by boat, then rode on a bridle track to Glen Afton and finally on a native track through heavy bush of

rimu ''Dacrydium cupressinum'', commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The Māori name ''rimu'' comes from the Polynesian ...

and matai on the hills, and

kahikatea ''Dacrycarpus dacrydioides'', commonly known as kahikatea (from Māori) and white pine, is a coniferous tree endemic to New Zealand. A podocarp, it is New Zealand's tallest tree, gaining heights of 60 m and a life span of 600 years. It was fi ...

on the flats. Within a year the native track had been turned into a bridle track. Picken was joined by George Richards, Arthur Shilson, Ned Edmonds, Stevens, Arthur Richards and Pyne. The Crown then built a road from Ngāruawāhia to the landing. By 1893 most land had been bought, except at the Hot Springs on a 21-year lease to Sam Wilson, who built the hotel. Charles Sutton bought the steam launch 'Vesta', which could tow a punt from Raglan to Waingaro in one hour. An experiment with the 'Amateur' was unsuccessful; it took 3 hours. In 1896 the 'Vesta' was repaired and took on the work again. For almost two decades the landing became a popular route to Raglan, when Captain Coge ran the S.S. 'Maori' between Raglan and the landing from 1903. A coach from Ngāruawāhia brought mail and passengers. About 1903, the Ministry of Tourist and Health Resorts published these options for journeys from Auckland to Raglan: * Auckland to Ngāruawāhia, : Depart rail Auckland 10 a.m. * Arrive Ngāruawāhia, 12.58 p.m. 1st class 8/10, 2nd 5/9. * Ngāruawāhia to Waingaro, . Coach departs Tuesday and Friday, 1.15 p.m. arrives 4 p.m. 6/- single, 10/- return. * Waingaro to Raglan, . Oil launch Tuesday and Friday. 2/6 single, 4/- return. ** Raglan to

Onehunga Onehunga is a suburb of Auckland in New Zealand and the location of the Port of Onehunga, the city's small port on the Manukau Harbour. It is south of the city centre, close to the volcanic cone of Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill. Onehunga is a ...

. N.S.S. (Northern Steamship) Steamer weekly. 20/- single, 30/- return. Saloon. ** Onehunga to Auckland, . Rail frequently. First I/-, 2nd 9 pence. *** Raglan to

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

, . Coach M.W. and Fridays. Departs 7 a.m. Arrives 1.10 p.m. *** Hamilton to Raglan. Coach Tues., Thurs., and Saturdays. Depart Hamilton 9 a.m. Arrives 4 p.m. Single 12/-, return 20/-. Coge soon gave up the boat service, but by 18 November 1904 the Raglan Chronicle was advertising for cargo for the launch 'Nita' after 7 local men formed the co-operative, Raglan Launch Co, to take over, with land agent, A. R. Langley, as secretary. With Mr B. Vercoe in charge, she continued trading until a fire in March, 1909, with Frank Charlton in charge. However, the fire seems to have been extinguished and the 'Nita' was later bought by Billy McQueen, who traded round the harbour till about 1920. From time to time the Post Office invited tenders to carry mail on the route. The

County Council A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries. Ireland The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...

agreed to extend the shed and wharf in 1910, though not buy extra land for it. The work was completed in 1913. The road to the landing was still being improved in 1905, when £100 was allocated. After 1920 the mail coach was replaced by a cream truck run by Bob Gibb on a Ngāruawāhia-Te Ākau mail run.

References

External links

- National Library 1910 photos of Waingaro Landing, Waingaro Bay (note the 1900 road to the Landing on the hillside) and Waingaro Estuary.
1955 Waingaro Landing aerial photo - the foreground shows part of the

arm of the harbour, which is over 3 km long. The Waingaro River joins the estuary in the middle left of the photo.
Photo of oil launch 'Nita'.

New Zealand Herald 17 June 1893 - description of hot springs and their history.
{{Waikato District Waikato District Populated places in Waikato Hot springs of New Zealand