Tairua

History and features

The earliest occupation of the area was once thought to have been by early Polynesian 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.

In 1769, Lieutenant James Cook sailed past the coast of Tairua, and named many of the off shore islands after members of his crew and the shapes of the islands. European settlement first took place in the 1830s.

Early European settlers to the area, in the late 19th century, were primarily drawn by timber stocks (predominantly kauri) and gold prospecting.

From the late 1960s Tairua has become a holiday destination, with major activities including game fishing, scuba diving, and surfing.

Radio Tairua is an independent radio station on frequency 88.3FM, which has broadcast to the area since May 2007.

The local Oturu Marae is located in Tairua. It is a tribal meeting ground for Ngāti Rautao and includes the Ngatau Wiwi meeting house.

Demographics

Tairua covers 4.17 km2 and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.

Tairua had a population of 1,653 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 174 people (11.8%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 426 people (34.7%) since the 2013 census. There were 813 males and 840 females in 708 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 59.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 213 people (12.9%) aged under 15 years, 135 (8.2%) aged 15 to 29, 663 (40.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 645 (39.0%) aged 65 or older.

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 91.8% European (Pākehā); 12.2% Māori; 2.7% Pasifika; 4.5% Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.2% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.5%, Māori language by 1.6%, and other languages by 8.3%. No language could be spoken by 1.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 21.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.

Religious affiliations were 29.8% Christian, 0.9% Hindu, 0.4% Māori religious beliefs, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.4% New Age, and 1.8% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 56.6%, and 9.6% of people did not answer the census question.

Of those at least 15 years old, 309 (21.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 780 (54.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 354 (24.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $29,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 96 people (6.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 429 (29.8%) people were employed full-time, 252 (17.5%) were part-time, and 33 (2.3%) were unemployed.

Climate

Tairua features an extremely mild oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with no month having an average temperature above 20 °C or below 10 °C. As a result of this, temperatures above 30 °C or below 0 °C are almost unheard of with the town being a popular holiday location because of its mild weather, beautiful beaches and rugged hills and mountains. These surrounding hills and mountains also cause the city to see significant rainfall throughout the year, especially in winter which can often lead to flooding and slips which isolate the community (almost annually) for a day or two at a time. This high rainfall also leads to lush temperate rainforest vegetation surrounding the city.

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Tourism

The town is a resort popular with domestic tourists, especially people who own a bach in the town. It has several beaches around the town that are popular for surfing and the harbour attracts kayaking and jet skiing. A pathway allows visitors to walk from the centre of town to the top of Mt Paku.

The area is noted for its fishing, with big kahawai, snapper and kingfish being the most prominent fish in the waters surrounding the town. The abundance of rocky islands also make Tairua a popular place for scuba diving and snorkelling. Most diving is done at the Alderman Islands, 20 kilometres from the town and is stated as a marine reserve. Native rainforests are nearby, and areas such as the Coromandel Forest Park and its Broken Hills are within easy reach of the town.

Education

Tairua School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of as of

Central Kids Tairua Kindergarten provides early childhood education for children aged 2–5 years.

Notes

References

1. (2004). "Reed New Zealand Atlas". Reed Books.
2. Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edition, 1979. p. 412.
3. [http://magic.lbr.auckland.ac.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fmagic.lbr.auckland.ac.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2Fanthpd%2Fbasic.htm&QF0=Record-ID&QI0=1596&TN=anthpd&MR=50&RF=full&NP=3&AC=QBE_QUERY University of Auckland Library: Anthropology Photographic Archive]
4. Subsequent reassessment of the archaeological site has resulted in dates in the 14th century.[http://www.cfgheritage.com/2009_14tairuabollards.pdf Archaeological Monitoring at T11/62, The Tairua Site (Report to Heritage New Zealand)]
5. "Heritage".
6. "Tairua History".
7. "Radio Tairua".
8. "Te Kāhui Māngai directory". [[Te Puni Kōkiri]].
9. "Māori Maps". Te Potiki National Trust.
10. "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service".
11. {{NZ census 2018. Tairua (168100). tairua. Tairua
12. "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
13. "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer.
14. "Tairua Fishing Spots".
15. {{TKI. 1975. Tairua School