Ōpōtiki is only a 30-minute drive down the coast from Ōhope, a seaside town repeatedly voted New Zealand’s best beach. The beaches around Ōpōtiki are also stunning. Together with Kāinga Maha we are creating new homes for Ōpōtiki.
Both the Otara and Waioeka Rivers gently wind their way through this area, with Ōpōtiki sited at their junction, calling a harbour inlet home. Native reserves on the doorstep add to the area’s natural appeal. Ōpōtiki is also the gateway to the East Cape, where Gisborne’s magnificent surf beaches can be found. The cities servicing Ōpōtiki are an easy drive away. Tauranga is just over 130kms away via the Pacific Coast highway, and it’s a similar distance to the tourism mecca of Rotorua. The bustling town of Whakatāne is less than 45 kilometres away.
The people of Ōpōtiki
Ōpōtiki celebrates a tight knit, culturally rich community. It is home to Whakatōhea iwi, with its main street decorated with the works of master carvers. This reflects the area’s importance for Māori and the significance of Māori in the township’s makeup. With a population sitting just under 10,000, this coastal town fits under the auspices of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The people of Ōpōtiki welcome the new Kāinga Maha housing development. In fact, Whakatōhea gifted the subdivision with its name — Pirirākau.
Pirirākau can mean cluster of trees, that together, stand strong. Pirirākau symbolises a shared vision to build a strong community, standing close together and looking after one another, as whānau.
