Mārahau is a village in the

Tasman District Tasman District () is a local government district in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. It borders the Canterbury Region, West Coast Region, Marlborough Region and Nelson City. It is administered by the Tasman District Council ...

of the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

of New Zealand, approximately north of

Motueka Motueka is a town in the South Island of New Zealand, close to the mouth of the Motueka River on the western shore of Tasman Bay. It is the second largest in the Tasman Region, with a population of as of The surrounding district has a numb ...

. Its location on

Tasman Bay Tasman Bay (; officially Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere), originally known in English as Blind Bay, is a large V-shaped bay at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. Located in the centre of the island's northern coast, it stretches alon ...

and at the southern entrance of the

Abel Tasman National Park Abel Tasman National Park is a national park at the north end of New Zealand's South Island. It covers of land between Golden Bay / Mohua and Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, making it the smallest of National parks of New Zealand, New Zealand's ...

makes it a popular holiday destination for those keen on outdoor activities. People access the Abel Tasman from Mārahau by tramping,

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

ing and

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a boat used to provide public transport, public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an Urban area, urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a simil ...

. In Mārahau itself, the beach offers sheltered and safe swimming, and horse trekking is popular throughout the busy summer season. The Mārahau community has adopted their own flag, named , designed by local artist Tim Wraight in 2012. The blue represents the ocean and sky, the green triangle represents

Tākaka Hill Tākaka Hill, previously also referred to as Marble Mountain, is a range of hills in the northwest of the South Island of New Zealand. Made of marble that has weathered into many strange forms and with numerous sinkholes, it is typical karst cou ...

, the golden sand bay is represented by the golden moon and the two stars represent the two islands, Adele and Fisherman.

Demographics

Mārahau is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². It is part of the larger Kaiteriteri-Riwaka statistical area. Mārahau had a population of 231 at the

2018 New Zealand census The 2018 New Zealand census, which took place on Tuesday 6 March 2018, was the thirty-fourth national census in New Zealand. The population of New Zealand was counted as 4,699,755 – an increase of 457,707 (10.79%) over the 2013 census. Resu ...

, an increase of 33 people (16.7%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 45 people (24.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 78 households, comprising 120 males and 111 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.08 males per female. The median age was 50.3 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 27 people (11.7%) aged under 15 years, 30 (13.0%) aged 15 to 29, 129 (55.8%) aged 30 to 64, and 45 (19.5%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 97.4% European/

Pākehā ''Pākehā'' (or ''Pakeha''; ; ) is a Māori language, Māori-language word used in English, particularly in New Zealand. It generally means a non-Polynesians, Polynesian New Zealanders, New Zealander or more specifically a European New Zeala ...

, 5.2%

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 1.3% Pasifika, 1.3% Asian, and 1.3% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 66.2% had no religion, 22.1% were

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, 1.3% had

Māori religious beliefs Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

, 1.3% were

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and 2.6% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 54 (26.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 27 (13.2%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $28,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 30 people (14.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 90 (44.1%) people were employed full-time, 57 (27.9%) were part-time, and 6 (2.9%) were unemployed.

References

External links

Tourism New Zealand
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mārahau Populated places in the Tasman District Populated places around Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere