Things to do in Whakatane District

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Returning from an early morning photo shoot
Returning from an early morning photo shoot
Whakatane is a Maori word and the 'wh' is pronounced like an 'f'. The statute of Wairaka is at the mouth of the Whakatane River in the Bay of Plenty area on the North Island.
The statue commemorates when Wairaka, a Maori chieftess, saved her tribe's canoe from being taken out to sea. The town of Whakatane was named after the event. Wairaka, yelled "Whakatane," meaning "act like a man" to give her and the other women the strength to save the canoe from the rising tide. Seeing it at sunrise is a great photo opportunity too!
Rainforest route on a dirt road
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What to do in Whakatane District

Popular day trips from Whakatane District

View of Whakatane in New Zealand

Whakatane

Hukutaia Domain ranks as one of Opotiki's main attractions. It is a 5 hectare remnant of extensive native forest with a Pururi tree important to Maori.

Opotiki