The town of Whakatane (pop. 17,000), situated in the center of the Bay of Plenty, at the mouth of the Whakatane River, is the supply center for an area that depends on agriculture and forestry for a living. In its hinterland there are large kiwi plantations, and pastoral farming (dairy cattle, sheep, red deer) is also important. Further inland large areas have been planted with pines, and on the outskirts of the town there are large timber-processing plants (including papermaking factories). In summer Whakatane, with its beautiful beach, is a popular holiday resort.
Ohope Beach, 6km east of Whakatane, is highly favored by surfers and surf anglers. The narrow Ohiwa Peninsula separates this beach from a more sheltered one inside the natural harbor.
On this steep-sided sacred rock in the center of the town is a tapu cave in which the Maoris used to hold their ceremonies. Since 1927 it has been a memorial to the dead of the first world war. Beside the rock is a model of an ancestral canoe, the Mataatua.
From the almost vertical summit of the rock there is a fine view of the town - in good weather it is possible to see the plumes of steam on White Island.
3km west of the town on the road to Tauranga are the Whakatane Board Mills, where timber from the Matahina pine forest, 48km away, is processed (wood pulp).
Tips: Conducted tours by appointment Mon.-Fri. 10.30am.
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