• New Zealand Regions
      • Hawke's Bay
      • Bay of Plenty
      • Waikato
      • Whanganui
      • Manawatu
      • Northland
      • Auckland
      • Gisborne
      • Taranaki
      • Wellington
      • West Coast
      • Nelson
      • Canterbury
      • Otago
      • Marlborough
      • Southland
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      Hawke's Bay

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      Beaches, wineries and Art Deco. The Hawke's Bay has a diverse economy, including business services that support its sectors to be the second largest contributor to regional GDP in the country. A popular tourist destination, the region has some of the countries best restaurants as well as stunning scenery, markets and festivals.

      Districts

      HastingsNapier

      Bay of Plenty

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      The Bay of Plenty is officially New Zealand's sunniest destination, enjoying short-lived winters and long summer days. The Region offers some of the country's most spectacular views and many ways to enjoy the pristine scenery and natural wonders. Visitors also enjoy exploring the Bay's Māori heritage and pre-European roots.

      Districts

      OpotikiOpotiki iSiteKawerauWhakatane

      Waikato

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      The Waikato is known for its rolling plains, fertile land and the mighty Waikato River. The region is the fourth largest regional economy in New Zealand, with a strong focus on primary production and associated manufacturing.

      Districts

      South WaikatoWaikato District

      Whanganui

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      Welcome to Whanganui. This is our place; where history is full of stories, legends and rich legacy. Where a thriving arts scene, creativity and evolving culture inspire our modern lives. Where breath-taking natural landscapes capture imaginations at every turn.

      Manawatu

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      Located in the lower North Island, Manawatu is heartland New Zealand, offering an authentic Kiwi experience.

      The main in the region are Palmerston North, most notable for Massey University. Palmerston has a vibrant, arts and culture scene.

      The region's economy is based on food production and processing, research and education. The region is also home for the New Zealand defence force.

      Northland

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      Northland was originally home to some of our country's first human inhabitants. Today, it is one of the fastest growing regions in New Zealand and home to nearly 189,000 people. Rich in culture and history, the region boasts a stunning natural environment.

      Auckland

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      Auckland Region stretches from the the beaches of the Pacific Ocean in the east to the expansive beaches of the rugged west coast of the Tasman Sea. Auckland City, the largest urban area in New Zealand is considered the main economic center of New Zealand and a popular destination for international students and travellers.

      Gisborne

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      Gisborne is a Region on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island. It's known for wineries and surf beaches such as Makorori. The region has maintained a strong Maori heritage. The region's economy is made up mainly of agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

      Taranaki

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      Taranaki is a coastal and mountainous region on the western side of New Zealand's North Island. Its landscape is dominated by Mount Taranaki, its namesake volcano, which lies within the rainforested Egmont National Park.

      The port city of New Plymouth is the area's cultural and commercial hub. Taranaki's economy is diverse and includes dairy, oil and gas. The region is the highest contributor or national GDP per capita. 

      Wellington

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      The Wellington Region covers Wellington city in the south, Upper and Lower Hutt valleys to the north-east, and Porirua to the north-west. The region takes its name from Wellington, New Zealand's capital city.

      Wellington is famous for its arts and culture scene and is also the centre of New Zealand's film industry.

      West Coast

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      The West Coast, or as some locals call it, the "Wild West", is a long thin region that runs down the South Island's west coast.

      The region has the lowest population in all of New Zealand. It is famous for its rugged natural scenery such as the Pancake Rocks, the Blue Pools of Haast, and the glaciers.

      The main industries in the region are dairy farming and mining. Tourism also plays an important role.

      Nelson – Tasman

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      Nelson Tasman is an extraordinary, vibrant region where art and businesses thrive together among a stunning natural landscape. With one in five people internationally born, Nelson Tasman has 48 different cultures living in its environs.

      The region prides its self on being New Zealand’s leading Research and Development areas, with the highest proportion of people working in the research, science and tech sectors out of anywhere in New Zealand.

      Canterbury

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      Canterbury is a region on New Zealand’s South Island marked by grassy plains, clear lakes and snow-capped mountains. Its largest city, Christchurch, is famed for its art scene and green spaces.

      Otago

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      There are few places in the world which will leave you with a lasting sense of difference. Central Otago is undoubtedly one of them from its landscapes, its seasons, its people, its products and experiences.

      Marlborough

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      Marlborough Region is on the north-eastern corner of the South Island. The region is well known for its winemaking industry, and the Marlborough Sounds, an extensive network of coastal waterways, peninsulas and islands.

      Apart from the wine industry, aquaculture, agriculture and tourism play an important role in the local economy.

      Southland

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      Southland is New Zealand’s most southerly region and includes the World Heritage ranked Fiordland National Park.

      The region's only city Invercargill offers a relaxed pace of life with wide streets, little traffic, spacious parks and gardens, striking Victorian and Edwardian architecture and impressive sporting facilities including New Zealand’s first indoor velodrome. Southland's location is such that views of Aurora Australis or the Southern Lights are common.

      Tooltip

The Whakatane District is an area in the Bay of Plenty region, straddling part of the bay’s eastern coastline and reaching inland to the fertile Rangataiki Plains. In addition to its sprawling agricultural sector, which produces high quality timber and dairy products, as well as kiwifruit, apples, and seafood, the district is also a bustling hub of Maori heritage. Its sandy beaches, lowlands, hills and hectares of bush are home to seven different tribes, or iwi.

The Ngati Awa and Ngai Tuhoe are the two most prominent iwi based in the Whakatane District. Most Ngati Awa settlements lie in the Rangataiki Plains, while the Tuhoe are centred around the high, hilly forest of their traditional land, Te Urewera. Many members of both tribes live in the district’s urban centres in Whakatane-Ohope, Edgecumbe, and Murupara and maintain tight links to their native ancestry, or whakapapa.

History
The Ngati Awa and Tuhoe iwi are said to descend from Tiwakawaka, the grandson of the legendary seafarer, Maui, who is commonly believed to have discovered Aotearoa, the land which is known today as New Zealand. The tribesmen of Tiwakawaka intermarried into the Toi people, as their stronghold in Kakahoroa, currently Whakatane, grew and bore other communities.

The Mataatua waka, a great migration canoe, carried the people of Toroa to the estuaries of Kakahoroa to settle there. As the men sortied to meet the natives, the women were left to contend with a strong tide that threatened to carry Mātaatua away from the shore. Despite their tradition discouraging women from seafaring, Wairaka, Toroa’s daughter, exclaimed “E! Kia whakatane au i ahau” (“let me act the part of a man”), which rallied the women around her to paddle their canoe back to shore. Whakatane is named after her heroic declaration.

From the descendants of Tiwakawaka, the Toi, and Captain Toroa’s waka, the Ngati Awa and Tuhoe emerged. Maori folklore claims Awanuiarangi II founded the former tribe, while the latter is named after Tūhoe-pōtiki. In the present date, rich oral tradition of the tribes’ origin persists.

Population
The 2013 national census places the Tuhoe population at 34,980, only 5,000 of which occupying their ancestral lands. The same census counts 16,179 individuals who affiliate with the Ngati Awa iwi. Over half of the people of Awanuiarangi live in Whakatane’s urban areas. There are many more speakers of te reo maori, the Maori language, in Whakatane than in the national average, owing to the different peoples’ close connection with the land’s history.

Economy
In the Maori tongue, the spirit of Whakatane’s land is called the mana whenua, and the Ngati Awa and Tuhoe are regarded as the mana whenua’s loyal stewards. With the advent of industrialization brought the pakeha, or European settlers, the two tribes have had considerable influence in preserving their native natural and social environment. Language and culture are deeply ingrained in both urban and rural society, and in young and old alike. Ancestral traditions, like the tangihanga funeral, marae gatherings, showcasing of memorial stones, and adventures into bush country, remain diligently observed.

With their mastery over their homeland, input from the two iwi is vital to the numerous commercial operations in Whakatane District, such as in ascertaining soil fertility, studying native flora and fauna, preserving important tangata whenua sites, and enculturating others in te reo maori and Maori values, such as kinship, harmony with nature, and competition through tribal sports, debates and dances.

The traditions, events, and art of the two iwi have also garnered local and international interest. Key tribal attractions include White Island, an active volcanic island, the Mātaatua waka settled upon its landing site at Whakatane, the various pa sites around the district, and the Te Urewera national park. The district offers an abundant variety of biomes for tourism and exploration. Immersion into the life of the Ngati Awa and Tuhoe iwi has become an exciting opportunity for many tourists.

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