Whakatane

Whakatane has just over 15,000 residents and is a city in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island. It is the administrative capital of the Whakatane District (whom it is named after).

Geography

The city of Whakatane is situated at the mouth of the Whakatane River in the Pacific Ocean. Up to Tauranga in the west are 94 kilometers of roads and Opotiki in the east is 55km away. The center is located below the foothills of the Raungaehe Range, ending at the coast at Kohi Point. The rocks, which constitute the apparent rejection of the Whakatane Fault, stop at this point.  There is nearly 100km of long sandy beach at the Bay of Plenty.

History

The Bay of Plenty is one of the first settlements of Maori in New Zealand and the legends tell us that the mouth of the Whakatane River area was one of the first landing points between 1340 – 1375 AD.

A tribe of Polynesians landed in Matatua and were the first big fleet coming from Hawaiki to have settled.  Of the testimonies of numerous pa’s (village’s Toi’s pa, on top of the plateau of the Kohi Point Scenic Reserve, is one of the best known. The country, in 1866 was confiscated by the British army in compliance with an Act of Parliament dated 24^th March 2005.  The iwi Ngati Awa once again returned on 22^nd April 2005.

The first Europeans who set foot on land in Whakatane were missionaries who came after 1828 on the schooner Herald Whakatane.  In 1831, a company from Sydney opened a shop for trade in flax. 10 years later it was the settler Thomas Anderson, who first bought land from Ngati Awa, and settled in Whakatane.  In 1865, the missionary Volkner was killed by Maori and shortly afterwards so was the Commissioner Fultoon James, who had been charged with the investigation of the murder and confiscated the land of the Maori and British Redcoats SENT to Whakatane.

The settlement of the army was burned in 1869 by the Maori leader Te Kooti and the military post on the other side of the river was restored. Tensions of many traders left the place.  In 1914 Whakatane was declared a city and received on 25^th August 1917 its first city council.  In 1921 the city had just 428 inhabitants.

In 1922, the first grid of the city was put into operation and expanded the port by 1925. The big boom came when the government released the wetlands on the management of the Rangitaiki Plain. Sprunghaft rose to the population and Whakatane in 1960 counted 1,941 inhabitants.  In 1958, the Bevokerung had almost tripled.  In 1976, the city lost its independence and was incorporated into the new structure of the Whakatane District Council.
Edgecumbe earthquake

Earthquakes are common for the town of Whakatane and surrounding areas, but the city lies with the Whakatane Fault in the northern foothills of the Taupo Volcanic Zone and is one of the most geologically active regions of New Zealand.

The Edgecumbe earthquake, which hit the region on 2^nd March 1987 hit and caused, despite its moderate strength of 6.3 on the Richter scale, significant damage, including in Whatkatane. Particularly affected were the towns of Edgecumbe, Te Teko, Kawerau, Matata and the smaller towns of Thornton.

Economy

The town of Whakatane, despite its marginal position in the District, is the economic center and service center of the district. Two differently oriented shopping centers, one operating in the city center and the other less than 2km away the surrounding countryside, is focused on agriculture and dairy farming.

Its home to the only paper mill in the city. With access to the ocean, deep-sea fishing is a thriving industry. Although Whakatane in 1970, was listed as the twelfth largest fishing port in New Zealand, it is still mainly used as a recreational sport fishing. After the collapse of commercial fisheries in the 1990s, the fish developed slowly. With a fleet of 6 vessels currently being used, tuna and shrimp are often caught.

The entire region, but especially the city has become more focussed in recent years on tourism, which is becoming economically so more important.  Special day trips are offered by boat or by helicopter to the most active volcano on New Zealand’s coasts, White Iceland. Sightseeing flights from the nearby Whakatane Airport are also possible.
To further increase the attractiveness in terms of tourism in October 2008 the trawler the Seafire Whale was sunk.  An artificial reef for the marine flora and fauna further strengthens the industry.