The town of Tairua is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River on its north bank and on the small Paku Peninsula. Tairua is a Māori name which translates literally as tai: tides, rua: two. Directly opposite Tairua on the south bank of the river's estuary is the smaller settlement of Pauanui. The two settlements are 30 kilometres east of Thames although the town has closer connections with the sea side resort town Whangamatā. Several islands lie off the mouth of the river, notably Slipper Island to the southeast and the Aldermen Islands20 kilometres to the east. Mount Paku is an extinct volcano that lies by Tairua Harbour. It was thought to have formed the Alderman Islands.
History and features
The earliest occupation of the area was once thought to have been by early Polynesian explorers based on the discovery of a pearl-shell lure shank found here and originally carbon-dated to the 11th century. Subsequent reassessment of the archaeological site has resulted in dates in the 14th century. Early European settlers to the area, in the late 19th century, were primarily drawn by timber stocks and gold prospecting. From the late 1960s Tairua has become a holiday destination, with major activities including game fishing, scuba diving, and surfing. Radio Tairua is an independent radio station on frequency 88.3FM, which has broadcast to the area since May 2007. The localOturu Marae is located in Tairua. It is a tribal meeting ground for Ngāti Maru and includes the Ngatau Wiwi meeting house.
Demographics
Tairua had a population of 1,227 at the 2013 New Zealand census, a decrease of 42 people since the 2006 census. There were 621 males and 606 females. 92.2% were European/Pākehā, 12.4% were Māori, 1.5% were Pacific peoples and 2.8% were Asian.
Climate
Tairua features an extremely mild oceanic climate with no month having an average temperature above 20°C or below 10°C. As a result of this, temperatures above 30°C or below 0°C are almost unheard of with the town being a popular holiday location because of its mild weather, beautiful beaches and rugged hills and mountains. These surrounding hills and mountains also cause the city to see significant rainfall throughout the year, especially in winter which can often lead to flooding and slips which isolate the community for a day or two at a time. This high rainfall also leads to lush temperate rainforest vegetation surrounding the city.
