Waitomo District

Waitomo District is a territorial authority, located in the Waikato region, at the north of the King Country area in the North Island of New Zealand. A small part of the district, the town of Tiroa, however, lies in the Manawatu-Wanganui region.

Waitomo District
Territorial authority
CountryNew Zealand
RegionWaikato Region
SeatTe Kuiti
Government
 • MayorBrian Hanna
Population
 (June 2018)[1]
 • Total9,570
Time zoneUTC+12 (NZST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+13 (NZDT)
Postcode(s)
Map of postcodes
Websitewaitomo.govt.nz

The District covers the west coast from Te Maika, on Kawhia Harbour, to the north of Taharoa, to Mokau in the south and extends inland to Benneydale and Mount Pureora.[2]

District council

The seat of the Waitomo District Council is at Te Kuiti, which has a population of 4,419. No other village in the district has a population of over 500. Waitomo District had a population of 8,907 at the 2013 New Zealand census (9,303 2018),[3] a decrease of 534 people since the 2006 census. There were 4,443 males and 4,467 females. Figures have been rounded and may not add up to totals.[4] 65.0% were European/Pākehā, 41.8% were Māori, 4.3% were Pacific peoples and 2.5% were Asian.[5] The district has a land area of 3,546.76 km2 (1,369 sq mi), 94.87% of which lies in the Waikato Region and only 5.13% in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region. The Waitomo district was declared in 1976. The current district mayor is Brian Hanna, who defeated incumbent Mark Ammon in the local body elections.

Industry and tourist attractions

The district is a rural, predominantly dairy farming, region. The area's main industries include sheep farming, forestry, and limestone quarrying. The area is known for the popular Waitomo Caves, a karstic system with stalactites, stalagmites and glowworms 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kuiti. Waitomo also has an old style hotel first built in 1908 and added onto in the 1930s. Waitomo Caves Hotel overlooks Waitomo Village.

Te Anga Road, a winding road from State Highway 3 in the Marokopa River area, leads past the Waitomo Caves, Mangapohue Natural Bridge, Piripiri Caves, and Marokopa Falls. Numerous other limestone caves are found throughout the Waitomo district.

References
  1. "Subnational Population Estimates: At 30 June 2018 (provisional)". Statistics New Zealand. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018. For urban areas, "Subnational population estimates (UA, AU), by age and sex, at 30 June 1996, 2001, 2006-18 (2017 boundaries)". Statistics New Zealand. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  2. "IntraMaps". waitomo.intramaps.co.nz. Retrieved 2019-03-08.
  3. "Story Map Series". statsnz.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  4. 2013 Census QuickStats about a place  : Waitomo District
  5. 2013 Census QuickStats about a place (Cultural diversity) : Waitomo District

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