Whakatāne


Whakatāne is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River. Whakatane District is the encompassing territorial authority, which covers an area to the south and west of the town, excluding the enclave of Kawerau.
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 behind Tauranga and Rotorua. Another people live in the rest of the Whakatane District. Around 40% of the district's population have Māori ancestry. The district has a land area of. Whakatane District was created in 1976.
Whakatāne forms part of the parliamentary electorate of East Coast, represented by Anne Tolley of the New Zealand National Party. It is the main urban centre of the eastern Bay of Plenty sub-region; incorporating Whakatāne, Kawerau, and Ōpōtiki, the eastern Bay stretches from Otamarakau in the west, to Cape Runaway in the north-east and Whirinaki in the south. It is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, chosen as a compromise between the region's two larger cities, Tauranga and Rotorua.

History and culture

Māori occupation

The site of the town has long been populated. Māori pā 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, 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 waka landed at Whakatāne.
The Maori name Whakatāne 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", 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.
meets with Prime Minister Joseph Ward in Whakatāne, 1908.
The region around Whakatāne was important during the New Zealand Wars of the mid 19th century, particularly the Volkner Incident. Its role culminated in 1869 with raids by Te Kooti'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 and the Māori prophet and activist Rua Kenana Hepetipa. 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 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 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, which are meeting places for Ngāti Awa hapū:
Whakatane District had a population of 35,700 at the 2018 New Zealand census, an increase of 3,009 people since the 2013 census, and an increase of 2,400 people since the 2006 census. There were 12,468 households. There were 17,442 males and 18,258 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.96 males per female. Of the total population, 8,013 people were aged up to 15 years, 6,177 were 15 to 29, 15,303 were 30 to 64, and 6,207 were 65 or older. Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.
Ethnicities were 63.2% European/Pākehā, 46.8% Māori, 3.0% Pacific peoples, 3.4% Asian, and 1.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
The percentage of people born overseas was 11.8, compared with 27.1% nationally.
Although some people objected to giving their religion, 48.1% had no religion, 32.9% were Christian, and 11.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 4,089 people had a bachelor or higher degree, and 5,925 people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,300. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 12,303 people were employed full-time, 4,389 were part-time, and 1,587 were unemployed.

Climate

Whakatāne has frequently recorded the highest annual sunshine hours in New Zealand. 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 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 16–18 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 burst its banks, flooding large areas of farmland, and numerous roads were closed by floods and slips. A total of 245.8 mm 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.

Geography

is a small island off the Bay of Plenty coast about 12 kilometres north of Whakatāne. The island has numerous sites of pā. It also provided shelter for James Cook's Endeavour in 1769. A whaling station existed on the island during the 19th century.
Whakaari/White Island is an active marine volcano located 48 kilometres offshore of Whakatāne and a popular visitor attraction. Sulphur mining on the island was attempted but abandoned in 1914 after a lahar 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.

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, whale watching, chartered fishing cruises, surf tours, amateur astronomy, 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 marine farm 8.5 km offshore of Ōpōtiki, 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 – 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 was built on the edge of town anchored by national chains Bunnings Warehouse and Harvey Norman. Its retail space totals 24,000sqm 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 neighboring Tauranga and Rotorua.

Infrastructure

is served by Air Chathams with direct flights to Auckland using Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner aircraft. Air New Zealand previously operated the Auckland service until April 2015.
Private cars, limited public transport and taxis are the primary modes of transport for residents. A regular public bus service runs between Whakatāne and Ōhope. Furthermore, once daily return bus services operate to Tauranga, en route from Kawerau and Ōpōtiki on alternate weekdays.
Whakatāne sits at the eastern end of State Highway 30. State Highway 2 bypasses the urban area.

Marine

Coastal trading, including scows and steamships – notably the Northern Steamship Company 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 Whakatane River 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 ran on the East Coast Main Trunk Railway as far as Taneatua until 1959. The Taneatua Branch 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 formerly connected the company's mill on the western side of the river to the Taneatua Branch 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 and the line was renamed the Whakatane Industrial line. The line has since been closed and lifted, and the Taneatua 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 Wananga O Awanuiarangi and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, 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 6 students: St Joseph's Catholic School, with a roll of, and Whakatane Seventh-day Adventist School, with a roll of.

Sister cities

Whakatāne has a friendship agreement with Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.

Notable people