Te Aroha

For the electorate, see Te Aroha (New Zealand electorate).
Te Aroha
Minor urban area
Te Aroha

Te Aroha's location within the North Island

Coordinates: 37°32′S 175°43′E / 37.533°S 175.717°E / -37.533; 175.717Coordinates: 37°32′S 175°43′E / 37.533°S 175.717°E / -37.533; 175.717
Country New Zealand
Region Waikato
Territorial authority Matamata-Piako District
Population (June 2016)[1]
 • Total 4,250
Postcode(s) 3320
Te Aroha
Location of Te Aroha, south of the Coromandel Peninsula
View from a spur of Mount Te Aroha.

Te Aroha is a rural town in the Waikato region of New Zealand with a population of 3,906 people in the 2013 census, an increase of 138 people since 2006.[2] It is 53 km northeast of Hamilton and 50 km south of Thames. It sits at the foot of 952-metre Mount Te Aroha, the highest point in the Kaimai Range.

History

The name Te Aroha comes from the Māori name of Mount Te Aroha. In one version, Rāhiri, the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, climbed the mountain and saw his homeland in the distance and felt a sense of love (aroha) for it. The name is often rendered in English as "place of love".

On 17 February 1985 Te Aroha experienced a severe flash flood that washed boulders, mud, and trees through the town. Most shops and more than 50 homes were damaged, resulting in the death of three people.[3][4][5]

Geography

The Waihou River runs through Te Aroha. Close by to the east is the base of the Kaimai Range, and the town is overlooked by the 952-metre Mount Te Aroha. To the north of the town is the low-lying, swampy land of the Hauraki Plains. Thermal and mineral springs are both found close to the centre of the town, as is the world's only hot soda water geyser. See Attractions

Economy

Te Aroha is at the centre of a dairy farming community and much of its economic activity is in serving that community. Tourism is increasing in Te Aroha. The mineral baths are a very popular spot for tourists and locals alike.

Historically mining played a role in the area, and has left some legacies – not all of them positive, such as toxic residues leaking from the abandoned Tui mine tailings dam.[6]

Attractions

Te Aroha is the location of the Mokena Hou Geyser, the only natural soda water geyser in the world.[7] The geyser is located in the Te Aroha Domain, the oldest intact Edwardian domain in New Zealand.[8]

Mokena Hou Geyser erupting.

The Hauraki Rail Trail has recently (2012) been opened, connecting the town to Paeroa and beyond.

Events

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2016 (provisional)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006-16 (2017 boundary)". Statistics New Zealand. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  2. ↑ 2013 Census QuickStats about a place:Te Aroha
  3. ↑ "Case Study: Te Aroha Flood, 1985". Matamata Piako District Council. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  4. ↑ McSaveney, Eileen (9 July 2013). "Debris from a flash flood". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  5. ↑ "The day disaster arrived". Stuff. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  6. ↑ Cumming, Geoff (6 March 2010). "Miners press to enter the green zone". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  7. ↑ http://www.mpdc.govt.nz/our-community/walking-a-cycling-tracks/te-aroha-walking-tracks/mokena-geyser-access.html Mokena Hou section of the MPDC website
  8. ↑ http://www.mpdc.govt.nz/our-facilities/te-aroha-domain.html Te Aroha Domain section of the MPDC website
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