Ruatahuna
The town of Ruatahuna is located in the northeast of New Zealand's North Island, 90 kilometres west of Gisborne, and 18 kilometres northwest of Lake Waikaremoana. It is situated on the unsealed part of SH38, from Wai-O-Tapu via Murupara to Wairoa.
A small town in the upper reaches of the Whakatāne River, Ruatahuna is in the remote country of the Ureweras, and is surrounded on three sides by the former Te Urewera National Park. The area was the site of much action during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s and 1870s.
It is a subdivision of the Galatea-Murupara ward of the Whakatāne District.Marae
Ruatahuna is within the rohe of Tūhoe, and has several marae affiliated with Tūhoe hapū:
- Mātaatua Marae and Te Whaia a Te Motu meeting house, affiliated with Te Urewera.
- Ōhāua or Ōhāua te Rangi Marae and Te Poho-o-Potiki meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Rongo.
- Ōpūtao Marae and Te Ngawari meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Tāwhaki.
- Ōtekura Marae and Te Ohaki meeting house, affiliated with Tamakaimoana.
- Pāpueru Marae and Te Whatu o Te Kanohi meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Tāwhaki.
- Tīpapa Marae and Kākahu Tāpiki meeting house, affiliated with Kākahu Tāpiki.
- Te Umuroa Marae and Te Poho-o-Parahaki meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Manunui.
- Uwhiārae Marae and Te Paena meeting house, affiliated with Ngāi Te Paena.
- Te Wai-iti Marae and Te Poho o Kuri Kino meeting house, affiliated with Ngāti Kurī Kino.
Education
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau is a co-educational state Māori language immersion area school for Year 1 to 13 students, with a roll of as of.
