Waipiro Bay
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Waipiro Bay Waipiro (Māori) |
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|---|---|
 Waipiro Bay
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| Coordinates: 38°1′10″S 178°19′59″E / 38.01944°S 178.33306°ECoordinates: 38°1′10″S 178°19′59″E / 38.01944°S 178.33306°E | |
| Country |
 New Zealand
|
| Region | Gisborne Region |
| Ward | Waiapu |
| Electorate | East Coast |
| Government | |
| • MP | Anne Tolley (National) |
| • Mayor | Meng Foon |
| Population | |
| • Estimate (2011) | 96 (20 families) |
| Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) |
| • Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Postcode | 4079 |
| Area code(s) | 06 |
Waipiro Bay is a small coastal settlement in the Gisborne District on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The name also refers to the bay that the settlement is built on. It was named Waipiro by Chief Paoa, which translates literally to "putrid water", referring to the area's sulphuric properties. It is in the Waiapu ward, along with nearby towns Te Puia Springs, Tokomaru Bay, and Ruatoria. It is located 15 km (9 mi) south of Ruatoria, 77 km (48 mi) north-east of Gisborne, and 41 km (25 mi) south-west of the East Cape Lighthouse, the easternmost point of mainland New Zealand. By road, it is 103 km (64 mi) from Gisborne, and 231 km (144 mi) from Opotiki. Waipiro Bay is governed by the Gisborne District Council, and is in the East Coast electorate.
At its peak in the 1900s to 1920s, Waipiro Bay was the largest town on the East Coast, with a population of up to 10,000 people. The town's size greatly diminished after a road was built bypassing the bay in the late 1920s, and as of 2011, there were only about 96 people (20 families) still living there.
The local marae, called Iritekura, is central to the community. It is one of three historic marae in the bay, which also has a church. Waipiro Bay has a local primary school called Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Waipiro, a co-ed Māori language immersion school catering for students in Years 1–8. In April 2012 the school had ten students, and a decile rating of two.
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