Whakatāne ( , ) is a town located in the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
Region in the
North Island
The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...
of New Zealand, east of
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
and northeast of
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
. The town is situated at the mouth of the
Whakatāne River
The Whakatāne River or Ōhinemataroa is a major river of the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand.
It flows north from near the small town of Ruatāhuna through Te Urewera, reaching the sea through the town of Whakatāne
...
. The
Whakatāne District
Whakatāne District is a territorial authority district on the North Island of New Zealand. The Whakatāne District Council is headquartered in the largest town, Whakatāne. The district falls within the Bay of Plenty Region. Victor Luca has ...
is the territorial authority that encompasses the town, covering an area to the south and west of the town, excluding the enclave of
Kawerau District
Bay of Plenty Region
Bay of Plenty Region
The Bay of Plenty Region is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region in the North Island of New Zealand. Also called just the Bay of Plenty (BOP), it is situated around the Bay of Plenty, mar ...
.
Whakatāne has an urban population of , making it New Zealand's 33rd-largest urban area and the
Bay of Plenty's third-largest urban area, after
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
and
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
. Another people live in the rest of the
Whakatāne District
Whakatāne District is a territorial authority district on the North Island of New Zealand. The Whakatāne District Council is headquartered in the largest town, Whakatāne. The district falls within the Bay of Plenty Region. Victor Luca has ...
. Around 42% of the population identify as having
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 Co ...
ancestry, and 66% as having European/ ancestry, compared with 17% and 72% nationally (some people identify with multiple ethnicities).
Whakatāne is part of the parliamentary electorate of East Coast, currently represented by
Dana Kirkpatrick of the
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party (), often shortened to National () or the Nats, is a Centre-right politics, centre-right List of political parties in New Zealand, political party in New Zealand that is the current senior ruling party. It is one ...
. The town is the main urban centre of the eastern Bay of Plenty sub-region, which includes Whakatāne,
Kawerau
Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau Distr ...
, and
Ōpōtiki
Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...
, stretching from Otamarakau in the west to
Cape Runaway
Cape Runaway () is the eastern extremity of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's North Island. It is located 157 kilometres northeast off Whakatāne and 65 kilometres west of East Cape. It is a predominantly Māori region, with 85.7% of the popula ...
in the northeast and Whirinaki in the south. Whakatāne is also the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, which was chosen as a compromise between the region's two larger cities,
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
and
Rotorua
Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...
.
History and culture
Māori occupation
The site of the town has long been populated.
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 Co ...
pā
The word pā (; often spelled pa in English) can refer to any Māori people, Māori village or defensive settlement, but often refers to hillforts – fortified settlements with palisades and defensive :wikt:terrace, terraces – and also to fo ...
(Māori fortified village) sites in the area date back to the first Polynesian settlements, estimated to have been around 1200
CE. According to Māori tradition
Toi-te-huatahi
Toi-te-huatahi, also known as Toi and Toi-kai-rākau, is a legendary Māori people, Māori ''tupuna'' (ancestor) of many Māori people, Māori iwi (tribes) from the Bay of Plenty area, including Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāi Tūhoe. The B ...
, later known as Toi-kai-rakau, landed at Whakatāne about 1150 CE in search of his grandson Whatonga. Failing to find Whatonga, he settled in the locality and built a pa on the highest point of the headland now called Whakatāne Heads, overlooking the present town. Some 200 years later the ''
Mātaatua
''Mātaatua'' was one of the great voyaging canoes by which Polynesians migrated to New Zealand, according to Māori tradition. Māori traditions say that the ''Mātaatua'' was initially sent from Hawaiki to bring supplies of kūmara to Māori ...
''
waka
WAKA (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Selma, Alabama, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Montgomery area. It is owned by Bahakel Communications alongside Tuskegee-licensed CW+ affiliate WBMM (channel 22); B ...
landed at Whakatāne.
[
]
The Maori name is reputed to commemorate an incident occurring after the arrival of the ''Mataatua''. The men had gone ashore and the canoe began to drift. Wairaka, a chieftainess, said "''Kia whakatāne au i ahau''" ("I will act like a man"), and commenced to paddle – something that women were not allowed to do. With the help of the other women, the canoe was saved. Wairaka's efforts are commemorated by a bronze statue of her at the mouth of the Whakatāne River, which was installed in 1965.

The region around Whakatāne was important during the
New Zealand Wars
The New Zealand Wars () took place from 1845 to 1872 between the Colony of New Zealand, New Zealand colonial government and allied Māori people, Māori on one side, and Māori and Māori-allied settlers on the other. Though the wars were initi ...
of the mid-19th century, particularly the
Völkner incident
The Völkner incident describes the execution of the German-born Protestant missionary Carl Sylvius Völkner in New Zealand in 1865 by an independent Māori judiciary, consisting of members of the Pai Mārire faith. It has come to be seen b ...
. Its role culminated in 1869 with raids by
Te Kooti
Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki ( 1832–1893) was a Māori leader and guerrilla fighter who was the founder of the Ringatū religion.
While fighting alongside government forces against the Hauhau in 1865, he was accused of spying. Exiled to ...
's forces and a number of its few buildings were razed, leading to an armed constabulary being stationed above the town for a short while. Whakatāne beach heralded a historic meeting on 23 March 1908 between Prime Minister
Joseph Ward
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the New Zealand Liber ...
and the Māori prophet and activist
Rua Kenana Hepetipa
Rua means 'street' in Portuguese and Galician language, and is the number 'two' in several Polynesian languages. It may refer to:
Music
*Rua (band), a New Zealand Celtic fusion band
* ''Rua'' (Clann Zú album), 2003
* ''Rua'' (Moana and the Moah ...
. Kenana claimed to be Te Kooti's successor.
European settlement
The town was a notable shipbuilding and trade centre from 1880 and with the draining of the Rangitāiki swamp into productive farmland from 1904, Whakatāne grew considerably. In the early 1920s, it was the fastest-growing town in the country for a period of about three years and this saw the introduction of electricity for the first time. The carton board mill at Whakatāne began as a small operation in 1939 and continues operating to this day.
The Whakatāne River once had a much longer and more circuitous route along the western edge of the Whakatāne urban area, having been significantly re-coursed in the 1960s with a couple of its loopier loops removed to help prevent flooding and provide for expansion of the town. Remnants of the original watercourse remain as Lake Sullivan and the Awatapu lagoon. The original wide-span ferro-concrete bridge constructed in 1911 at the (aptly named) Bridge Street was demolished in 1984 and replaced by the Landing Road bridge.

Whakatāne has in recent years benefited from its relative dominance over numerous smaller and less prosperous towns surrounding it, such as
Te Teko
Te Teko is a small inland town along the banks of the Rangitaiki River in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island.
The township includes a racecourse, golf course, police station, and a primary school. The primary school was est ...
(affectionately known as 'Texas') and Waimana, and its popularity as a retirement and lifestyle destination.
Mataatua Declaration
The 'First International Conference on the Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples' was held in Whakatāne from 12 to 18 June 1993. This resulted in the Mataatua Declaration on Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples', commonly referred to as the Mataatua Declaration.
Marae
Whakatāne has five
marae
A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...
, which are meeting places for
Ngāti Awa
Ngāti Awa is a Māori iwi (tribe) centred in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. It is made of 22 hapū (subtribes), with 15,258 people claiming affiliation to the iwi in 2006. The Ngāti Awa people are primarily located in towns ...
hapū
In Māori language, 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 ...
:
* Te Hokowhitu a Tū ki te Rāhui Marae and Te Hokowhitu a Tūmatauenga meeting house is affiliated with
Ngāti Wharepaia and
Ngāti Hokopū – Te Hokowhitu a Tu Ki Te Rāhui
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
.
* Te Rangihouhiri II Marae and Te Rangihouhiri II meeting house is affiliated with
Ngāi Te Rangihouhiri II.
* Tokitareke or Warahoe Marae and Te Puna o Te Orohi meeting house is affiliated with
Warahoe.
* Toroa or Pupuaruhe Marae and Toroa meeting house is affiliated with
Te Patuwai.
* Te Whare o Toroa Marae and Wairaka meeting house is affiliated with
Ngāti Wharepaia and
Ngāti Hokopū – Te Whare o Toroa
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English.
...
.
In October 2020, the Government committed from the
Provincial Growth Fund
Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the New Zealand First party.
Jones' political career began 2005 New Zealand general election, in 2005 as a l ...
to upgrading Te Hokowhitu a Tū ki te Rāhui Marae and 11 other Ngāti Awa marae, creating 23 jobs. It also committed $282,275 to upgrade Te Whare o Toroa Marae, creating an estimated 21 jobs.
Demographics
Whakatāne urban area covers
and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km
2.
Whakatāne had a population of 15,795 at the
2018 New Zealand census
The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census.
Resu ...
, an increase of 1,410 people (9.8%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 1,098 people (7.5%) since the
2006 census. There were 5,820 households, comprising 7,491 males and 8,307 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.9 males per female, with 3,402 people (21.5%) aged under 15 years, 2,670 (16.9%) aged 15 to 29, 6,546 (41.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 3,180 (20.1%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 66.6% European/, 42.4%
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 Co ...
, 3.5%
Pacific peoples, 4.9%
Asian, and 1.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 14.5, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 47.8% had no religion, 35.9% were
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
, 6.5% had
Māori religious beliefs
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 Co ...
, 0.7% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
, 0.1% were
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, 0.5% were
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
and 1.3% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 1,812 (14.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 2,667 (21.5%) people had no formal qualifications. 1,593 people (12.9%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 5,310 (42.8%) people were employed full-time, 1,953 (15.8%) were part-time, and 639 (5.2%) were unemployed.
Geography
Moutohora Island
Moutohora Island (previously known as Whale Island) () is a small uninhabited island located off the Bay of Plenty coast of New Zealand's North Island, about north of the town of Whakatāne. The island is a remnant of a complex volcano which ...
is a small island off the
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...
coast about north of Whakatāne. The island has numerous sites of pā. It also provided shelter for
James Cook
Captain (Royal Navy), Captain James Cook (7 November 1728 – 14 February 1779) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer, and cartographer famous for his three voyages of exploration to the Pacific and Southern Oceans, conducted between 176 ...
's ''
Endeavour'' in 1769. A whaling station existed on the island during the 19th century.
Whakaari/White Island
Whakaari / White Island (, , lit. "the dramatic volcano"), also known as White Island or Whakaari, is an active andesite stratovolcano situated from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. The island covers a ...
is an active marine volcano located 48 kilometres (25 n.mi.) offshore of Whakatāne and was a popular visitor attraction. Sulphur mining on the island was attempted but abandoned in 1914 after a
lahar
A lahar (, from ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of Pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a valley, river valley.
Lahars are o ...
killed all 10 workers.
The mouth of the Whakatāne River and Ohiwa Harbour have both provided berths for yachts, fishing trawlers and small ships since European settlement of the area. Nearby
Ōhope Beach is a sandy beach stretching from the Ohiwa Harbour entrance.
Climate
Whakatāne has frequently recorded the highest annual sunshine hours in New Zealand (year and respective sunshine hours shown below). Since official recording began in 2008, the town has frequently attained upwards of 2600 hours a year. The town recorded an average of over 7.5hrs of sunshine a day in 2013. Whakatāne also records the national daily high (temp) on approximately 55 days of the year.
Natural disasters
Whakatāne was affected by the
1987 Edgecumbe earthquake. Heavy rain struck the Bay of Plenty region between 16 and 18 July 2004, resulting in severe flooding and a state of civil emergency being declared. Many homes and properties were flooded, forcing thousands of Whakatāne residents to evacuate. The
Rangitaiki River
The Rangitaiki River is the longest river in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand's North Island. It is long, and rises inland to the east of the Kaingaroa Forest in the Taupō District. The Rangitaiki catchment covers an area of . It flo ...
burst its banks, flooding large areas of farmland, and numerous roads were closed by floods and slips. A total of 245.8 mm (9") of rain fell in Whakatāne in the 48-hour period and many small earthquakes were also felt during this time, loosening the sodden earth and resulting in landslips that claimed two lives.
Whakatane is also the closest town to
Whakaari / White Island
Whakaari / White Island (, , lit. "the dramatic volcano"), also known as White Island or Whakaari, is an active andesite stratovolcano situated from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, in the Bay of Plenty. The island covers a ...
, which experienced a
fatal eruption in 2019. The town was heavily affected by the disaster in which 22 lost their lives.
Industries and tourism

The town's main industries are diverse: forestry, tourism, agriculture, horticulture, fishing and manufacturing are all well-established. There is a large carton board packaging mill, a newspaper press, and a brewery.
While farming and forestry activities remain the dominant sectors, tourism is a growing industry for Whakatāne, with a continued increase in guest nights in the district. White Island is a key attraction. Popular tourist activities include the beaches,
swimming with dolphins
The popularity of swimming with dolphins increased in the 1980s and 1990s, occurring in over 65 countries, both as a form of therapy as well as a tourist activity. Proponents of dolphin-assisted therapy (DAT) say that interacting with dolphins can ...
, whale watching, chartered fishing cruises, surf tours,
amateur astronomy
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the Naked eye, unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astr ...
, hunting, experiences of Maori culture and bush walking. Whakatāne is also used as a base for many tourists who wish to explore other activities in the surrounding region.
Aquaculture is an emerging industry for the Eastern Bay, with the development of a 3800 hectare (15 sq. mi.) marine farm 8.5 km (4 n.mi.) offshore of
Ōpōtiki
Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...
, expected to produce 20,000 tonnes of mussels per annum by 2025 and add $35 million to regional GDP. Whakatāne is home to the regional radio station
One Double X – 1XX
Media Bay of Plenty is a radio company based in Whakatāne, New Zealand. Its flagship station, One Double X, reaches the entire Bay of Plenty, with a specific frequency in Ōhope and live streams on its website. It also owns and operates subsidiar ...
– one of the first privately owned commercial radio stations on air in New Zealand in the early 1970s.
Whakatāne has become the dominant commercial service centre for the Eastern Bay. In 2006, a large-format shopping centre (The Hub Whakatane) was built on the edge of town anchored by national chains Bunnings Warehouse and Harvey Norman. Its retail space totals 24,000sqm (6 acres) and includes 900 car parks. Prior to the centre's construction, it was estimated around $30 million in local retail spending was being lost to large format retail stores in neighbouring Tauranga and Rotorua.
Whakatāne Museum, a local museum operating across two premises with changing exhibitions, opened in 1972.
Infrastructure
Whakatāne Airport is served by
Air Chathams
Air Chathams Limited is an airline based in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. It was established in 1984 and operates scheduled passenger services between the Chatham Islands and mainland New Zealand along with routes between Auckland and Whak ...
with direct flights to Auckland using
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a Swedish twin-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by Saab AB and Fairchild Aircraft. It is designed to seat 30–36 passengers and, as of July 2018, there were 240 operational aircraft used by 34 differen ...
aircraft. Air New Zealand previously operated the Auckland service until April 2015.
Private cars, limited public transport and taxis (as well as cycling and walking) are the primary modes of transport for residents.
Whakatāne sits at the eastern end of
State Highway 30.
State Highway 2 bypasses the urban area.
Bus
Baybus runs between Whakatāne and
Ōhope
Ōhope is a coastal town situated on the northeastern coast of the Eastern Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's North Island. It is six kilometres east of Whakatāne, and is located between Ōhiwa Harbour to the south and Ōhope Beach to the north ...
. Furthermore, once-daily return bus services operate to
Tauranga
Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...
, en route from
Kawerau
Kawerau is a town in the Bay of Plenty Region on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 100 km south-east of Tauranga and 58 km east of Rotorua. It is the seat of the Kawerau District Council, and the only town in Kawerau Distr ...
and
Ōpōtiki
Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...
on alternate weekdays.
Bee Cards were introduced for fares on 27 July 2020.
Marine
Coastal trading, including scows and steamships – notably the
Northern Steamship Company
The Northern Steam Ship Company Ltd (NSS) served the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand from 1881 to 1974. Its headquarters, the Northern Steam Ship Company Building, remains in use on Quay Street, Auckland, Quay Street, Auckland ...
service, which ran until 1959, used Whakatāne as a port of call. Today it primarily services charter vessels, commercial & recreational fishing vessels. The depth of water over the
Whakatāne River
The Whakatāne River or Ōhinemataroa is a major river of the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand.
It flows north from near the small town of Ruatāhuna through Te Urewera, reaching the sea through the town of Whakatāne
...
entrance has been a limiting factor to the development of better port facilities, but it is generally held that a training wall along the western edge of the entrance would allow greater depths and safer crossings.
Rail
A passenger train called the
Taneatua Express
The ''Taneatua Express'' was an express passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department that ran between Auckland and Taneatua in the Bay of Plenty, serving centres such as Tauranga and Te Puke. It commenced in 1929 and operated ...
ran on the
East Coast Main Trunk Railway
The East Coast Main Trunk (ECMT) is a railway line in the North Island of New Zealand, originally running between Hamilton and Taneatua via Tauranga, connecting the Waikato with the Bay of Plenty. The ECMT now runs between Hamilton and Kawerau ...
(ECMT) as far as
Taneatua until 1959. The
Tāneatua Branch
The Tāneatua Branch is a long branch railway line in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, running from Hawkens Junction, west of Edgecumbe, to Tāneatua.
History
From 2 September 1928 to 1978 the line was part of the East Coast Main Trunk (EC ...
line was formerly part of the ECMT and connected with the current ECMT at Hawkens Junction.
A private railway line operated by Whakatane Board Mills (now
Carter Holt Harvey Whakatāne) formerly connected the company's mill on the western side of the river to the
Tāneatua Branch
The Tāneatua Branch is a long branch railway line in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, running from Hawkens Junction, west of Edgecumbe, to Tāneatua.
History
From 2 September 1928 to 1978 the line was part of the East Coast Main Trunk (EC ...
line at Awakeri. The
Whakatane Board Mills Line was freight only, with no passenger service. In 1999 operation of the Whakatane Board Mills line was taken over by
Tranz Rail
Tranz Rail, formally Tranz Rail Holdings Limited (New Zealand Rail Limited until 1995), was the main Rail transport in New Zealand, rail operator in New Zealand from 1991 until it was purchased by Toll Holdings in 2003.
History
The New Zealand ...
(now KiwiRail) and the line was renamed the Whakatane Industrial line. The line has since been closed and lifted, and the Tāneatua Branch line is used for tourist excursions.
Education
Whakatāne has two secondary schools:
Whakatane High School,
with a roll of ,
and
Trident High School,
with a roll of .
Two tertiary institutes,
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
is a wānanga (indigenous tertiary education provider) based in Whakatāne, New Zealand, established in 1991 by Ngāti Awa. Today it also has a campus in both Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Whangārei.
History
Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiār ...
and
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, also referred to as "Toi Ohomai" is a New Zealand tertiary education institute. Toi Ohomai is a provider of vocational education for over 14,000 students, including more than 1,400 international students stud ...
, have campuses in Whakatāne.
The town has three state primary schools for Year 1 to 6 students: Allandale School,
with a roll of ,
Apanui School,
with a roll of ,
and James Street School,
with a roll of .
There is one public state intermediate school for Year 7 to 8 students: Whakatane Intermediate,
with a roll of .
Whakatāne also has two state-integrated Christian primary schools for Year 1 to 8 students: St Joseph's Catholic School,
with a roll of ,
and Whakatane Seventh-day Adventist School,
with a roll of .
Notable people
*
Lisa Carrington
Dame Lisa Marie Carrington (born 23 June 1989) is a flatwater canoeist and New Zealand's most successful Olympian, having won a total of eight gold medals and one bronze medal. She won three consecutive gold medals in the Women's K1 200metres ...
, New Zealand flatwater canoer
*
Lindy Chamberlain, New Zealand-Australian woman wrongly convicted in one of Australia's most publicised murder trials
*
Zena Elliott, Māori artist
*
Maurice Gee, New Zealand author
*
Joe Harawira, environmental campaigner
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Patrick Herbert, New Zealand rugby league player
*
Francis Kora, Māori musician and actor
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Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy (21 March 1936 – 23 July 2012) was a New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. Many of her story plots have strong supernatural elements but her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growi ...
, New Zealand author
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Benji Marshall
Benjamin Quentin Marshall (born 25 February 1985) is a New Zealand professional rugby league coach and former player who is the head coach of the Wests Tigers in the NRL.
He played at or for the Wests Tigers in two separate spells, St. G ...
, New Zealand rugby league and rugby union player
*
Mike Moore Michael Moore is an American filmmaker and author.
Michael Moore may also refer to:
Academia
* Michael G. Moore (fl. 1970s–2020s), professor of education
* Michael S. Moore (academic) (fl. 1960s–2020s), American law professor
* Michael Mo ...
, New Zealand politician and Prime Minister
*
Albert Oliphant Stewart (1884–1958), tribal leader and local politician
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Rex Patrick
Rex Lyall Patrick (born 8 May 1967) is an Australian politician. He served as a Senator for South Australia from November 2017 until June 2022. He was appointed to the Senate to fill a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Nick Xenophon. H ...
, Australian politician
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Alexander Peebles (1856–1934), first chairman of the Whakatāne County Council in 1900
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Eve Rimmer, New Zealand paraplegic athlete
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Ian Shearer
Ian John Shearer (10 December 1941 – 1 June 2021) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party, environmentalist and research scientist.
Early life and education
Shearer was born at Whakatāne in 1941, the son of Jack Sewell Shearer. H ...
, New Zealand politician
*
Sarah Walker, New Zealand BMX racer
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Hayden Wilde
Hayden Wilde (born 1 September 1997) is a New Zealand professional triathlete. He was the silver medalist at the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the bronze medallist at the Tokyo Summer Olympics, the silver medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games an ...
, New Zealand triathlete
References
External links
Whakatane.infoWhakatāne Information Centre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whakatāne
Whakatāne District
Populated places in the Bay of Plenty Region
Surfing locations in New Zealand