Te Karaka is a small settlement inland from Gisborne, in the northeast of New Zealand's

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

. It is located in the valley of the

Waipaoa River The Waipaoa River is in the Gisborne District, in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of the Raukūmara Range, flowing south for to reach Poverty Bay and the Pacific Ocean just south of Gisborne. For a ...

close to its junction with its tributary, the Waihora River. Te Karaka is located on State Highway 2, and is the largest settlement between Gisborne and

Ōpōtiki Ōpōtiki (; from ''Ōpōtiki-Mai-Tawhiti'') is a town in the eastern Bay of Plenty in the North Island of New Zealand. It houses the headquarters of the Ōpōtiki District Council, the mayor of Ōpōtiki and comes under the Bay of Plenty Region ...

in the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty () is a large bight (geography), bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called ''Te Moana-a-Toitehuatahi'' (the Ocean ...

. Te Karaka holds the current North Island weather high record, set on 3 February 2020, at 40 °C recorded at 4 pm that day.

Demographics

Statistics New Zealand describes Te Karaka as a rural settlement, which covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². It is part of the larger Waipaoa statistical area. Te Karaka had a population of 525 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 42 people (8.7%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 21 people (−3.8%) since the 2006 census. There were 162 households, comprising 258 males and 264 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.98 males per female, with 132 people (25.1%) aged under 15 years, 93 (17.7%) aged 15 to 29, 219 (41.7%) aged 30 to 64, and 69 (13.1%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 33.7% 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 ...

, 76.0%

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 ...

, 3.4% Pasifika, 1.1% Asian, and 1.1% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 42.3% had no religion, 27.4% 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 ...

, 21.7% 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 ...

and 1.7% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 33 (8.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 117 (29.8%) people had no formal qualifications. 15 people (3.8%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 186 (47.3%) people were employed full-time, 48 (12.2%) were part-time, and 30 (7.6%) were unemployed.

Waipaoa statistical area

Waipaoa statistical area, which also includes Otoko, covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Waipaoa had a population of 1,953 at the

, an increase of 18 people (0.9%) since the 2013 census, and a decrease of 174 people (−8.2%) since the 2006 census. There were 675 households, comprising 1,005 males and 945 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.06 males per female. The median age was 37.4 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 468 people (24.0%) aged under 15 years, 354 (18.1%) aged 15 to 29, 885 (45.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 246 (12.6%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 61.1% European/

, 51.9%

, 1.4% Pasifika, 1.1% Asian, and 1.2% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 4.9, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 46.5% had no religion, 30.7% were

, 14.4% had

, 0.2% 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 0.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 180 (12.1%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 363 (24.4%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $26,600, compared with $31,800 nationally. 141 people (9.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 753 (50.7%) people were employed full-time, 252 (17.0%) were part-time, and 63 (4.2%) were unemployed.

Parks

The settlement has a sports ground and local park, Te Karaka Recreation Ground.

Marae

Te Karaka has three

marae A ' (in Māori language, New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian language, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan language, Tongan), ' (in Marquesan language, Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan language, Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves reli ...

belonging to the

hapū In Māori language, Māori and New Zealand English, a ' ("subtribe", or "clan") functions as "the basic political unit within Māori society". A Māori person can belong to or have links to many hapū. Historically, each hapū had its own chief ...

Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki is one of the three principal Māori people, Māori iwi of the Gisborne District, Tūranga district; the others being Rongowhakaata and Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngai Tamanuhiri. It is numerically the largest of the three, with 6, ...

. Rangatira Marae and Whakahau meeting house is a meeting place of Ngāti Wahia. Takipu Marae and Te Poho o Pikihoro meeting house is a meeting place of Te Whānau a Taupara. Tapuihikitia and Te Aroha meeting house is a meeting place of Ngā Pōtiki and Te Whānau a Taupara. In October 2020, the Government committed $327,200 from the

Provincial Growth Fund Shane Geoffrey Jones (born 3 September 1959) is a New Zealand politician and a member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the New Zealand First party. Jones' political career began 2005 New Zealand general election, in 2005 as a l ...

to upgrade the marae, creating an estimated 6 jobs.

Education

Te Karaka Area School is a Year 1–13 co-educational state area school with a roll of students as of The school opened in 2011, replacing the local primary school and Waikohu College.

References

{{Gisborne District Populated places in the Gisborne District