Tairua

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Tairua
Tairua
Coordinates: 37°0′23″S 175°50′56″E / 37.00639°S 175.84889°E / -37.00639; 175.84889
Country New Zealand
Region Waikato
District Thames-Coromandel District
Population (2006)
 • Total 1,269
Mount Paku,Tairua, Coromandel Peninsula

The town of Tairua is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River on its north bank and on the small Paku Peninsula.[1] The population was 1,269 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 192 from 2001.[2] Tairua is a Māori name which translates literally as tai: tides, rua: two.[3]

Directly opposite Tairua on the south bank of the river's estuary is the smaller settlement of Pauanui. The two settlements are 30 kilometres east of Thames although the town has closer connections with the sea side resort town Whangamata. Several islands lie off the mouth of the river, notably Slipper Island to the southeast and the Alderman Islands 20 kilometres to the east. Mount Paku is an extinct volcano that lies by Tairua Harbour. It was thought to have formed the Alderman Islands.

The earliest occupation of the area was once thought to have been by early Polynesian explorers based on the discovery of a pearl-shell (not native to New Zealand) lure shank found here[4] and originally carbon-dated to the 11th century.[3] Subsequent reassessment of the has archaeological site has resulted in dates in the 14th century[5]

Early European settlement of the area in the late 19th century was based around sawmilling (predominantly Kauri) and gold prospecting.[6]

From the late 1960s Tairua has become a holiday destination,[6] with major activities including game fishing, diving, and surfing.

Radio Tairua is an independent radio station on frequency 88.3FM, which has broadcast to the area since May 2007.[7]

Education

Tairua School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 7 and a roll of 102.[8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Peter Dowling (editor) (2004). Reed New Zealand Atlas. Reed Books. pp. map 17. ISBN 0-7900-0952-8. 
  2. ↑ Quickstats about Tairua
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 412.
  4. ↑ University of Auckland Library: Anthropology Photographic Archive
  5. ↑ Archaeological Monitoring at T11/62, The Tairua Site (Report to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tairua History
  7. ↑ Radio Tairua
  8. ↑ "Te Kete Ipurangi - Tairua School". Ministry of Education. 

External links

Coordinates: 37°00′23″S 175°50′56″E / 37.00639°S 175.84889°E / -37.00639; 175.84889


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