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Whakatane (IPA , also pronounced ; or ) is a city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand, the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 98 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River. The town has a population of 18,000, with another 15,000 people living within the greater Whakatane district. Of the 33,000 people in the district, around 40% have MÄori ancestry. Whakatane was among the towns worst hit by the 1987 Edgecumbe Earthquake.
History
The site of the town has long been populated. MÄori pÄ sites in the area date back to the first Polynesian settlements, estimated to have been around 1200 CE. According to MÄori tradition Toi te Huatahi, later known as Toi Kairakau, landed at Whakatane, about AD 1150, in search of his grandson, Whatonga. Failing to find Whatonga, he decided to settle 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.
The name "Whakatane" commemorates an incident occurring after the arrival of the Mataatua. The men had gone ashore and the canoe began to drift. Muriwai, a chieftainess, said “Ka WhakatÄne au i ahau†(“I will make myself a manâ€), and commenced to paddle (which women were not allowed to do), and with the help of the other women saved the canoe.
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 MÄori 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 pÄ (MÄori fortified villages). It also provided shelter for Cook's Endeavour in 1769. A whaling station existed on the island during the 19th century.
Industries and tourism
The town's main industries are diverse: forestry, dairy farming, fishing, tourism and manufacturing are all well-established. There is a paper mill and a newspaper press. Whakatane is the gateway to White Island (Whakaari), New Zealand's most active volcano, located 48 kilometres north of Whakatane and a popular destination for day cruises. Other activities include a swim with the dolphins.
Infrastructure
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...
