Kaitaia

Kaitaia is a town in the Far North District of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula, about 160 km northwest of Whangarei. It is the last major settlement on State Highway 1. Ahipara Bay, the southern end of Ninety Mile Beach, is 5 km west.

The main industries are forestry and tourism. The population is 4,887 (2013 census), which makes it second largest town in the Far North District, after Kerikeri.

The name Kaitaia means ample food, kai being the Māori word for food.

The Muriwhenua are a group of six northern Māori iwi occupying the northernmost part of the North Island surrounding Kaitaia.

History
The Kaitaia Mission Station was established in 1834 by the Church Missionary Society (CMS) members Joseph Matthews and William Puckey, the father of William Gilbert Puckey, who also lived at Kaitaia. Richard Matthews, the brother of Rev. Joseph Matthews, arrived in the Bay of Islands in December 1835 and joined his brother in Kaitaia. Richard Matthews had been a lay missionary on the second voyage of HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin. Richard Matthews served the CMS as a lay catechist at Kaitaia. In 1838 he married Johanna Blomfield, the sister of Mrs Martha Blomfield Clarke, whose husband George was a CMS missionary at Te Waimate mission. In 1840 Richard and Johanna Matthews helped set up a missionary station at Whanganui.

There were plans to extend the Okaihau Branch railway to Kaitaia and construction was started in the 1920s, but with the line nearly complete to Rangiahua, a review in 1936 determined that the line would not be viable and construction was abandoned. The line terminated in Okaihau until it was closed on 1 November 1987. D 221, a steam tank locomotive, has been on static display at Centennial Park since 1967.

Climate
Kaitaia has a oceanic climate (Cfb according to the Köppen climate classification system).

Transport
A bus service runs regularly from Auckland. CBEC runs a service called Busabout to Awanui, Mangonui and Pukenui on weekdays.

Kaitaia Airport has regular Air New Zealand services from Auckland and is the only airport in the upper Far North District.

Agriculture
The avocado industry flourishes, with orchards dispersed throughout the immediate area. Wine is a growing commodity. One of the largest vineyards is the Karikari Estate.

Education
Kaitaia Primary School, Kaitaia Intermediate and Kaitaia College are the main primary, intermediate and secondary schools. The primary school has a decile rating of 1, the others 2. The rolls are 277, 253, and 862 respectively.

Pompallier School is a Catholic full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 3 and a roll of 126.

Kaitaia Abundant Life School is a Christian composite school (years 1-13) with a decile rating of 2 and a roll of 211. It was established in 1988 as a private primary school, and extended to secondary students in 1992. It became a state integrated school in 1996.

Oturu School is a primary school to the north east serving years 1-8, with a decile rating of 1 and a roll of 63.

Pukepoto School and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Pukemiro are in Pukepoto, to the south-west.

All these schools are co-educational.

NorthTec polytechnic also has a campus in Kaitaia.

Notable people
Notable people born in Kaitaia or have lived there include:
 * Nopera Pana-kareao (?–1856) tribal leader, evangelist and assessor.
 * Sophia Taylor née Davis (1847–1930), hostess, suffragist and landowner in Mount Albert, Auckland
 * Donald Rutledge O.B.E, J.P. (1891-1956), small business owner, founding members of Kaitaia RSA, member of Kaitaia Town Board. Invested with the OBE for services to the community.