Te Araroa
Te Araroa is a township in the Gisborne Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 175 km north of Gisborne city, along State Highway 35 between Tokata and Awatere. Te Araroa is the birthplace of noted Māori politician Sir Apirana Ngata. Māori in the area are generally associated with the Ngāti Porou iwi. It is 100 metres from its local beach.
Te Araroa sits at the base of Whetumatarau at the eastern end of Kawakawa Bay. In the grounds of the local school stands Te Waha o Rerekohu, one of the largest pohutukawa tree (Metrosideros excelsa) in New Zealand.
The township has a medical centre, general store, takeaways, fire station and police station. In 2006 the local pub, the Kawakawa Hotel was ravaged by a major fire. Recreational facilities include a children's playground, skate park and rugby domain.
In 1996 an electrical fire destroyed part of Hinerupe Marae.[1] The community rallied to raise funds to build a new marae on the same site as the former 130 year old building. One major fundraising event The Out of the Ashes Festival saw New Zealand performers Sir Howard Morrison, Dave Dobbyn, Neil Finn and Annie Crummer perform at the Te Araroa Domain. The new marae complex opened in 30 March 2002.
References
- ↑ Yandall, Paul. "Te Araroa toils to restore pride". The New Zealand Herald. APN. Retrieved 29 Dec 2001.
Coordinates: 37°38′S 178°22′E / 37.633°S 178.367°E