Whakatāne is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. The town has a population of 18,700 , with another 15,700 people living within the greater Whakatāne District. Of the 34,400 people in the District, around 40% have Māori ancestry.

The history of Whakatāne

Settlement

The site of the town has long been populated. Māori pā (Māori fortified village) sites in the area date back to the first Polynesian settlements, estimated to have been around 1200 CE. According to Māori tradition Toi-te-huatahi, later known as Toi-kai-rakau, landed at Whakatāne about AD 1150 in search of his grandson Whātonga. Failing to find Whātonga, he settled in the locality and built a pa on the highest point of the headland now called Whakatāne Heads, overlooking the present town. Some 200 years later the Mataatua waka landed at Whakatāne.

The name "Whakatāne" is reputed to commemorate an incident occurring after the arrival of the Mataatua. The men had gone ashore and the canoe began to drift. Wairaka, a chieftainess, said “Kia Whakatāne au i ahau” (“I will act like a man”), 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 Whakatāne 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. Whakatāne beach heralded an historic meeting on the 23 March 1908 between Prime Minister Joseph Ward and the controversial Māori 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 Whakatāne. The island has numerous sites of pā. It also provided shelter for James Cook's Endeavour in 1769. A whaling station existed on the island during the 19th century.

Mataatua Declaration in 1993

The 'First International Conference on the Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples' was held in Whakatāne from June 12 to 18, 1993. This resulted in the Mataatua Declaration on Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples', commonly referred to as the Mataatua Declaration.

Industries and tourism

Rainforest near Whakatāne is renowned for its biodiversity.

The town's main industries are diverse: forestry, dairy farming, horticulture, fishing, tourism and manufacturing are all well-established. There is a paper mill and a newspaper press. Whakatāne is also home to Aotearoa Breweries, makers of Mata beer. Whakatāne is the gateway to Whakaari/White Island, New Zealand's most active volcano, located 48 kilometres north of Whakatāne and a popular destination for day cruises. Whakatāne is also used as a base for many tourists who wish to explore other activities in the surrounding region. Popular tourist activities include swimming with dolphins, whale watching, chartered fishing cruises, surf tours, amateur astronomy, hunting, aviation and bushwalking.

Whakatne is home to the regional radio station Radio 1XX.

Infrastructure

The mouth of the Whakatāne 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 airport on the western side of the river has provided the region with access to commercial air transport which dramatically reduced passenger transport times to and from the major international airports at Auckland and Wellington.

A private railway line (Whakatāne Industrial line) connected the Whakatāne Board Mills to the Taneatua branch line, which in turn is connected to the East Coast Main Trunk Railway. The Whakatāne Industrial line never had a passenger rail service and in 1999 operation of the line was taken over by Tranz Rail (now KiwiRail). The line has since been closed and lifted.

Private cars and some limited bus services and taxis (as well as cycling and walking) are the primary modes of transport for residents.

The city has access to modern telecommunications infrastructure including high speed Internet access.