Rahotu


Rahotu is a community in the west of Taranaki, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 45, 16 kilometres north of Opunake and 11 km south of Warea.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "Long for the sun" for Rāhotu.

History

In 1826, on the eastern side of Rahotu, a pā of the Ngāti Maru was the site of a battle with Waikato Māori.
On 29 April 1834, a 240-ton barque called Harriet was wrecked off the coast near Rahuto, and some of the crew including the captain's wife and two young children were captured by local Māori. They were rescued by HMS Alligator five months later. The Harriet's anchor is displayed outside the Rahotu Hotel.
A constabulary camp was formed at Rahotu in 1881 and a telegraph station established.
The current town was settled in the 1880s and was well established by the early 20th century.

Demographics

Rahotu had a population of 252 at the 2013 New Zealand census, unchanged since the 2006 census. There were 129 males and 123 females. 77.5% were European/Pākehā, 35.0% were Māori, 2.5% were Pacific peoples and 2.5% were Asian.

Education

Rahotu School is a coeducational full primary school with a roll of students as of The school was founded in 1884, with a second classroom added in 1908, and substantial expansion in 1953.