28-495: Ruatoki North is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty of New Zealand , just south of the small town of Tāneatua and approximately 20 km south of the city of Whakatāne . The Whakatāne River runs northwards through the Ruatoki Valley and has formed broad alluvial flats. The main settlement of Ruatoki North is on the eastern side of the river. The population of approximately 600 people are predominantly Māori of
56-406: A district high school from 1946–47 until the secondary section closed in the 1970s. In 1978 it became New Zealand's first bilingual primary school. It then became a Māori language immersion school for children up to standard two, remaining bilingual for standards three and four. On 1 September 1992 it became an area school for children up to form seven and the first official kura kaupapa school. It
84-426: A nearly continuous stage of releasing volcanic gas at least since it was sighted by James Cook in 1769. Whakaari erupted continually from December 1975 until September 2000, marking the world's longest historic eruption episode, according to GeoNet , as well as in 2012, 2016, and 2019. The latter of these resulted in 22 deaths and 25 serious injuries, primarily of tourists from a nearby cruise ship who were exploring
112-571: Is a large bight along the northern coast of New Zealand 's North Island . It stretches 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi (the Ocean of Toitehuatahi) in the Māori language after Toi-te-huatahi , an early ancestor, the name 'Bay of Plenty' was bestowed by James Cook in 1769 when he noticed
140-458: Is now Te Wharekura o Ruatoki , a co-educational state area school that teaches Year 1 to 13 students in the Māori language. It has a roll of 226 as of August 2024. Children from west of the river attended Ruatoki Native School in the early decades. As there was no bridge, they waded the river, and missed school when the river was in flood. Consequently, Tawera Native School opened on the western side of
168-617: The 2013 census , and an increase of 426 people (20.7%) since the 2006 census . There were 1,029 households, comprising 1,233 males and 1,251 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.99 males per female. The median age was 54.8 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 336 people (13.5%) aged under 15 years, 303 (12.2%) aged 15 to 29, 1,077 (43.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 765 (30.8%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 89.9% European/ Pākehā , 14.6% Māori , 1.0% Pacific peoples , 2.5% Asian , and 1.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas
196-559: The Mātaatua tribes. Early Māori settlement also gave rise to many of the town and city names used today. The first recorded European contact came when James Cook sailed through the Bay of Plenty in 1769. Cook noted the abundance of food supplies, in comparison to Poverty Bay further back along the eastern coast of the North Island. Further reports of European contact are scarce prior to
224-508: The Tūhoe iwi. The main economic activities in the Ruatoki Valley are dairy farming and cropping. Tūhoe people started dairy farming at Ruatoki from at least the 1890s. The first school – Ruatoki Native School – and the first post office opened at the same site on the eastern side of the Whakatāne River in 1896. In 1908 two telegraph offices opened, one at the school and known as Ruatoki , and
252-549: The 1950s, as kiwifruit did later. On 5 October 2011, the MV Rena ran aground on the Astrolabe Reef in the bay causing a large oil spill , described as New Zealand's worst ever environmental disaster. A volcanic eruption occurred on Whakaari / White Island at 14:11 on 9 December 2019, which resulted in twenty fatalities and twenty-seven injuries, most suffering severe burns. Forty-seven people were reportedly on
280-620: The Government committed $ 263,775 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade Ngāhina Marae, creating 12 jobs. It also contributed $ 622,833 to Ōtenuku, Paneteure and two other marae; $ 477,707 to Tauarau marae; and $ 1,646,820 to Waikirikiri and 5 other marae. Local Tuhoe leaders requested a school in 1891 and the Ruatoki Native School opened on the eastern side of the Whakatāne River on 4 June 1896. It became
308-434: The Government committed $ 500,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae. The upgrade is expected to create 33 jobs. Waihi Beach-Bowentown covers 6.31 km (2.44 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 2,860 as of June 2024, with a population density of 453 people per km . Waihi Beach-Bowentown had a population of 2,484 at the 2018 New Zealand census , an increase of 336 people (15.6%) since
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#1732783324251336-719: The Tauranga iwi, including at the famous Battle of Gate Pā in 1864. Further conflict with the government arose in 1865 when German missionary Carl Völkner and interpreter James Fulloon were killed by local Māori at Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne, respectively. The ensuing conflict resulted in the confiscation of considerable land from several Bay of Plenty iwi by the government. Confiscation of Māori land deprived local iwi of economic resources (among other things), and also provided land for expanding European settlement. The government established fortified positions, including at Tauranga, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki. European settlers arrived throughout
364-646: The abundant food supplies at several Māori villages there, in stark contrast to observations he had made earlier in Poverty Bay . The bay is defined by 259 kilometres (161 mi) of open coastline used for economic, recreational and cultural purposes. The coastline from Waihi Beach in the west to Opape is defined as sandy coast, while the coast from Opape to Cape Runaway is rocky shore. Sizeable harbours are located at Tauranga, Whakatāne and Ohiwa. Major estuaries include Maketu , Little Waihi, Whakatāne, Waiotahe and Waioeka / Ōtara . Eight major rivers empty into
392-553: The arrival of missionary Samuel Marsden to the Tauranga area in 1814. Bay whaling stations operated in the bay during the 19th century. During the 1820s and 1830s, northern iwi including Ngā Puhi invaded the Bay of Plenty during their campaign throughout the North Island, fighting local Māori tribes in what became known as the Musket Wars . However, the 1830s and 1840s saw increased contact between Bay of Plenty Māori and Europeans through trade, although few Europeans settled in
420-530: The bay from inland catchments, including the Wairoa , Kaituna , Tarawera , Rangitaiki , Whakatane , Waioeka , Motu and Raukokore rivers. The bay contains numerous islands, notably the active andesite stratovolcano Whakaari / White Island . Whakaari is New Zealand's most active cone volcano , and has been built up by continuous volcanic activity over the past 150,000 years. The nearest mainland towns are Whakatāne and Tauranga . The island has been in
448-422: The descendent iwi maintain their traditional homelands ( rohe ) in the region, including Te Whānau-ā-Apanui , Te Whakatōhea , Ngāi Tai , Ngāi Tūhoe , Ngāti Awa , Ngāti Tūwharetoa ki Kawerau, Te Arawa , Ngāi Te Rangi , Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga . Māori named the bay Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi (the Ocean of Toitehuatahi), or Te Moana-a-Toi for short, after Toi-te-huatahi , an early ancestor of
476-405: The end of the century the population had started to dwindle. But after experimenting with different crops, settlers found success with dairy production. Dairy factories sprang up across the Bay of Plenty in the 1900s, with butter and cheese feeding economic prosperity throughout the early 20th century; local Māori continued to live on the fringe of this prosperity. Timber also became a major export in
504-399: The island at the time. Whakaari / White Island is roughly circular, about 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter, and rises to a height of 321 m (1,053 ft) above sea level. It covers an area of approximately 325 ha (800 acres). The exposed island is only the peak of a much larger submarine volcano , which rises up to 1,600 m (5,249 ft) above the nearby seafloor. Sulphur
532-518: The island when it erupted. A second eruption closely followed the first. Waihi Beach Waihi Beach is a coastal town at the western end of the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand 's North Island . It lies 10 kilometres to the east of the town of Waihi , at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula . The main beach is 10 kilometres long. The town had a permanent population of 2,860 as of June 2024. At
560-517: The latter half of the 19th century, establishing settlements in Katikati , Te Puke and the Rangitaiki area. In 1876, settlements were incorporated into counties following the nationwide dissolution of the provincial system. Initial settlements in the region struggled: the climate was ill-suited to sheep farming and the geography was inaccessible, further hindered by a lack of infrastructure. By
588-675: The name for the beach. The Waihi Beach Hotel was built in 1967 and the Athenree mineral hot springs are located nearby. Nearby Waihi is known for the gold and silver mining operation at Martha Mine and several underground mines. Otāwhiwhi Marae, located in Bowentown, is a marae (tribal meeting ground) of the Ngāi Te Rangi tribe and Ngāi Tauwhao sub-tribe; it includes the Tamaoho wharenui (meeting house). In October 2020,
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#1732783324251616-426: The northern end of Waihi Beach, the 145 hectares (360 acres) Orokawa Scenic Reserve offers several short walking tracks along the coast and to Orokawa Bay. While the main beach is backed by the residential area of the township of Waihi Beach, Orokawa Bay is undeveloped and surrounded by native bush including pohutukawa, puriri, and nikau palms. At the southern end of the beach is the small settlement of Bowentown and
644-428: The northern side of the northern Katikati entrance to Tauranga Harbour . Māori have lived in the region since pre-European times, with numerous pā sites within a few kilometres of Waihi Beach. There is still evidence of the old pā sites at the Bowentown end of Waihi Beach. The name Waihi ("Rising Water") is said to be named after a stream which flows into the beach, the later town of Waihi taking its name from
672-599: The other a little to the north at the store in the township and known as Ruatoki North . A cheese factory opened in the township in 1908. The factory burned down in the late 1920s and a new concrete factory replaced it in 1928. The factory closed in 1964 and has since been demolished. Ruatoki was one of the main sites involved in the 2007 New Zealand police raids , conducted under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 . There are ten marae , which are meeting places for local Tūhoe hapū . In October 2020,
700-585: The region. Missionary activity in the region also increased during this time. In 1853, New Zealand was subdivided into provinces , with the Bay of Plenty incorporated into Auckland Province . Conflict returned to the Bay of Plenty during the 1860s with the New Zealand Wars . Initially this stemmed from Tauranga iwi supporting the Waikato iwi in their conflict with the government. In retaliation, British Crown and government-allied Māori forces attacked
728-399: The river on 29 July 1931. It is now Tawera Bilingual School, a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students that teaches in Māori and English language. It has a roll of 36. 38°8′28.2″S 177°0′22.2″E / 38.141167°S 177.006167°E / -38.141167; 177.006167 Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( Māori : Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi )
756-447: Was 13.9, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 54.1% had no religion, 34.2% were Christian , 1.7% had Māori religious beliefs , 0.7% were Hindu , 0.4% were Buddhist and 1.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 363 (16.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 369 (17.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income
784-519: Was mined on the island until the 1930s. Ten miners were killed in 1914 when part of the crater wall collapsed. The Bay of Plenty has a temperate , maritime climate, with warm, humid summers and mild winters. According to local Māori traditions , the Bay of Plenty was the landing point of several migration canoes that brought Māori settlers to New Zealand. These include the Mātaatua , Nukutere , Tākitimu , Arawa and Tainui canoes. Many of
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