| Whakatane | |
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Whakatane
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Bay of Plenty |
| Territorial authority | Whakatane District |
| Settled by Māori | c. 1200 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Tony Bonne |
| • Deputy Mayor | Judy Turner |
| Area | |
| • Territorial | 4,442.07 km2 (1,715.1 sq mi) |
| Population (June 2011 estimate)[1] | |
| • Territorial | 34,500 |
| • Density | 7.8/km2 (20.1/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 18,700 |
| Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) |
| • Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Postcode(s) | 3120 |
| Area code(s) | 07 |
| Website | http://www.whakatane.govt.nz/ |
Whakatane (pronounced [ɸakaˈtaːne] in Māori; English: /fɒkəˈtɑːni/ or /hwɒkəˈtɑːni/) is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 89 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River.
The town has a population of 18,700, with another 15,800 people living within the greater Whakatane District. Of the 34,500 people (June 2011 estimate) in the District,[1] around 40% have Māori ancestry. The District has a land area of 4,442.07 km² (1,715.09 sq mi). The Whakatane District was declared in 1976.
Whakatane is part of the parliamentary electorate of East Coast, represented by Anne Tolley of the New Zealand National Party. It was chosen as the seat of the Bay of Plenty Region as a compromise between the region's two larger cities, Tauranga and Rotorua.
Whakatane was among the towns affected by the 1987 Edgecumbe earthquake.
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The site of the town has long been populated. Māori pā (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, later known as Toi-kai-rakau, landed at Whakatane about AD 1150 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 Whakatane Heads, overlooking the present town. Some 200 years later the Mataatua waka landed at Whakatane.[2]
The name "Whakatane" 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 (which women were not allowed to do), and with the help of the other women saved the canoe.[3]
The region around Whakatane 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. Whakatane beach heralded an historic meeting on the 23 March 1908 between Prime Minister Joseph Ward and the controversial Māori prophet and activist Rua Kenana Hepetipa. Kenana claimed to be Te Kooti's successor.
Whale Island (or Motuhora) is a small island off the Bay of Plenty coast about 12 kilometres north of Whakatane. 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.
The 'First International Conference on the Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples' was held in Whakatane from June 12 to 18, 1993. This resulted in the Mataatua Declaration on Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples', commonly referred to as the Mataatua Declaration.
Heavy rain struck the Bay of Plenty and Whakatane on 16–18 July 2004 causing severe flooding and resulting in a state of civil emergency being declared. Many homes and properties were flooded, forcing thousands of Whakatane 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 Whakatane 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. These were the first earthquake deaths in New Zealand for nearly 40 years.
The town's main industries are diverse: forestry, dairy farming, horticulture, fishing, tourism and manufacturing are all well-established. There is a paper mill and a newspaper press. Whakatane is also home to Aotearoa Breweries, makers of Mata beer. Whakatane is the gateway to Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand's most active volcano, located 48 kilometres north of Whakatane and a popular destination for day cruises. Whakatane is also used as a base for many tourists who wish to explore other activities in the surrounding region. Popular tourist activities include swimming with dolphins, whale watching, chartered fishing cruises, surf tours, amateur astronomy, hunting, aviation and bushwalking.
Whakatane is home to the regional radio station Radio 1XX.
Whakatane won the title of the sunshine capital of New Zealand 2010.[4]
The mouth of the Whakatane River and Ohiwa Harbour have both provided berths for yachts, fishing trawlers and small ships since European settlement of the area.
More recently, the construction of an airport on the western side of the river has provided the region with access to commercial air transport which dramatically reduced passenger transport times to and from the major international airports at Auckland and Wellington.
A private railway line operated by the Whakatane Board Mills (now Carter Holt Harvey Whakatane) connected the company's mill on the western side of the river to the Taneatua Branch line at Awakeri. The Taneatua Branch line (now mothballed) was formerly part of the East Coast Main Trunk line and connects with the current East Coast Main Trunk Railway at Hawkens Junction. Passenger rail services were never provided on the Whakatane Board Mills line, with services insted running along the route of the East Coast Main Trunk line to Taneatua in the form of the Taneatua Express, which operated until 1959. In 1999 operation of the Whakatane Board Mills line was taken over by Tranz Rail (now KiwiRail) and the line was renamed the Whakatane Industrial line. The line has since been closed and lifted, and the Taneatua Branch line has been mothballed.
Private cars and some limited bus services and taxis (as well as cycling and walking) are the primary modes of transport for residents.
The city has access to modern telecommunications infrastructure including high speed internet access. In 2008 the content filter for the town's wireless Internet service rejected Google searches for "Whakatane" due to the pronunciation of the name.[5] Locally the 'Wh' is pronounced as an 'F'. The phenomenon of a name being blocked due to it being mistaken for an offensive term is known as the Scunthorpe problem.
Whakatane has a friendship agreement with Shibukawa, Gunma, Japan.[6]
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