Tairua
Encyclopedia
Coromandel Peninsula
The Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato Region and Thames-Coromandel District and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west...
in the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River
Tairua River
The Tairua River is located on the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand.It flows north and then northeast for a total of 35 kilometres from its source in the Coromandel Range to the west of Whangamata, passing through the town of Hikuai before reaching the Pacific Ocean at Tairua...
on its north bank and on the small Paku Peninsula. The population was 1,269 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 192 from 2001. Tairua is a Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name which translates literally as tai: tides, rua: two.
Directly opposite Tairua on the south bank of the river's estuary is the smaller settlement of Pauanui
Pauanui
The town of Pauanui meaning Big Paua in Maori 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 south bank, directly opposite the larger town of Tairua. The population was 741 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 42...
. The two settlements are 30 kilometres east of Thames
Thames, New Zealand
Thames is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council....
although the town has closer connections with the sea side resort town Whangamata
Whangamata
The town of Whangamata is sited on the southeast coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 30 kilometres north of Waihi, to the north of the western extremity of the Bay of Plenty....
. Several islands lie off the mouth of the river, notably Slipper Island
Slipper Island
Slipper Island or is located to the east of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island and southeast of the town of Pauanui. It is a beach resort privately owned by Nora & Abe Needham's 14 children, making it one of the few privately owned islands in New Zealand...
to the southeast and the Alderman Islands
Alderman Islands
The Aldermen Islands are a small group of rocky islets to the southeast of Mercury Bay in the North Island of New Zealand. They are located off the coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, east of the mouth of the Tairua River....
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 ot have been by early Polynesian
Polynesians
The Polynesian peoples is a grouping of various ethnic groups that speak Polynesian languages, a branch of the Oceanic languages within the Austronesian languages, and inhabit Polynesia. They number approximately 1,500,000 people...
explorers based on the discovery of a pearl-shell (not native to New Zealand) lure shank found here and originally carbon-dated to the 11th century. Subsequent reassessment of the has archaeological site has resulted in dates in the 14th century
Early European settlement of the area in the late 19th century was based around sawmilling (predominantly Kauri) and gold prospecting.
From the late 1960s Tairua has become a holiday destination, with major activities including game fishing, diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, and surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
.
Radio Tairua is an independent radio station on frequency 88.3FM, which has broadcast to the area since May 2007.
Education
Tairua School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile ratingSocio-Economic Decile
Decile, Socio-Economic Decile or Socio-Economic Decile Band is a widely used measure in education in New Zealand used to target funding and support to more needy schools....
of 7 and a roll of 102.