Waitati
Encyclopedia
Waitati is a small seaside settlement in Otago
, New Zealand
, within the city limits of Dunedin
. It is located close to the tidal mudflats of Blueskin Bay
, 19 kilometres north of the Dunedin city centre. The small Waitati River
flows through the bay to the sea.
The Dunedin-Waitati Highway section of State Highway 1
, formerly and colloquially called Dunedin Northern Motorway, ends at Waitati; the highway continues north from here at a slightly lower grade of construction with more frequent intersections and accesses. Three km to the north, the highway ascends the notorious Kilmog hill. The Main South Line
railway curves from east to north through Waitati. The old station yard remains as a train crossing loop and parts of the old station building are used by rail maintenance workers.
Waitati is home to a branch of the Dunedin Public Libraries, a garden centre, a local school, a cafe and general store, and several holiday homes.
. The Waitati Militia, a pacifist warfare group, was founded here, and the village featured in the history of the Values Party
, Mushroom magazine and anti Vietnam war
and Aramoana
aluminium
smelter protests, as well as the development in New Zealand of environmental education
.
Waitati has no sewerage
system, and has become a centre in New Zealand for the development of composting toilet
s and other alternative sewage disposal systems. Some villagers are edible garden and alternative energy
enthusiasts.
Waitati has become an arrival point for German immigrants to New Zealand and has a high proportion of Germans
and German-New Zealanders.
The Orokonui Ecosanctuary
wildlife sanctuary is set in an area of native bush here. Doctors Point Beach is a sandy southern beach that is home to a breed of blue penguins
and other wildlife.
Waitati Film Society screens films every second Tuesday night during most of the year (every Tuesday night in the middle of winter).
Waitati is part of the Transition Towns Aotearoa initiative, using some Transition Towns
techniques and patterns for energy descent
.
Otago
Otago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
, 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...
, within the city limits of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. It is located close to the tidal mudflats of Blueskin Bay
Blueskin Bay
Blueskin Bay is an estuary in coastal Otago, about 25 km north of Dunedin.The name also unofficially describes the rural district which includes the northern slopes of Mount Cargill, the southern slopes of the Kilmog, and the townships of Doctors Point, Waitati, Evansdale, Warrington, and...
, 19 kilometres north of the Dunedin city centre. The small Waitati River
Waitati River
The Waitati River is a river in New Zealand, flowing into the Pacific Ocean at Blueskin Bay, north of Dunedin.-References:...
flows through the bay to the sea.
The Dunedin-Waitati Highway section of State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
, formerly and colloquially called Dunedin Northern Motorway, ends at Waitati; the highway continues north from here at a slightly lower grade of construction with more frequent intersections and accesses. Three km to the north, the highway ascends the notorious Kilmog hill. The Main South Line
Main South Line
The Main South Line, sometimes referred to as part of the South Island Main Trunk Railway, is a railroad line that runs north and south from Lyttelton in New Zealand through Christchurch and along the east coast of the South Island to Invercargill via Dunedin...
railway curves from east to north through Waitati. The old station yard remains as a train crossing loop and parts of the old station building are used by rail maintenance workers.
Waitati is home to a branch of the Dunedin Public Libraries, a garden centre, a local school, a cafe and general store, and several holiday homes.
Alternative lifestylers and activism
For many years Waitati has been known for its appeal to those who pursue an alternative lifestyleAlternative lifestyle
An alternative lifestyle is a lifestyle generally perceived to be outside the cultural norm. Usually, but not always, it implies an affinity or identification within some matching subculture...
. The Waitati Militia, a pacifist warfare group, was founded here, and the village featured in the history of the Values Party
Values Party
The Values Party, considered the world's first national-level environmentalist party that pre-dated any fashionable Green terminology, was established in 1972 at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, one of its initial leaders being Tony Brunt...
, Mushroom magazine and anti Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Aramoana
Aramoana
Aramoana, also known as "The Spit" to locals, is a small coastal settlement, 27 kilometres north of Dunedin city, in the South Island of New Zealand. The settlement's permanent population in 2001 Census was 261. Supplementing this are seasonal visitors from the city who occupy cribs...
aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
smelter protests, as well as the development in New Zealand of environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
.
Waitati has no sewerage
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
system, and has become a centre in New Zealand for the development of composting toilet
Composting toilet
A composting toilet is a dry toilet that using a predominantly aerobic processing system that treats excreta, typically with no water or small volumes of flush water, via composting or managed aerobic decomposition...
s and other alternative sewage disposal systems. Some villagers are edible garden and alternative energy
Alternative energy
Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....
enthusiasts.
Waitati has become an arrival point for German immigrants to New Zealand and has a high proportion of Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and German-New Zealanders.
The Orokonui Ecosanctuary
Orokonui Ecosanctuary
Orokonui Ecosanctuary, called Te Korowai o Mihiwaka in Māori, is an ecological island wildlife reserve being developed by the Otago Natural History Trust in the Orokonui Valley near Waitati, New Zealand, 20 km to the north of central Dunedin....
wildlife sanctuary is set in an area of native bush here. Doctors Point Beach is a sandy southern beach that is home to a breed of blue penguins
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
and other wildlife.
Waitati Film Society screens films every second Tuesday night during most of the year (every Tuesday night in the middle of winter).
Waitati is part of the Transition Towns Aotearoa initiative, using some Transition Towns
Transition Towns
Transition Towns is a grassroots network of communities that are working to build resilience in response to peak oil, climate destruction, and economic instability...
techniques and patterns for energy descent
Energy descent
Energy descent is the post-peak oil transitional phase, when humankind goes from the ascending use of energy that has occurred since the industrial revolution to a descending use of energy....
.