Ruatoria

RUATORIA ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Ruatoria Information

Ruatoria is a town located in the East Coast region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located 130 kilometres north of Gisborne and 30 kilometres southwest of East Cape.

Ruatoria is steeped in Maori tradition and is an interesting stop for visitors to Eastland. The town is home territory for the Ngati Porou tribe and it's also the spiritual base for Maori Rastafarians who combine their Rasta teaching with tribal philosophies.

Ruatoria sits below Mount Hikurangi (1752 metres), the first point on the New Zealand to see the sunrise each day. An agreement between the government and Ngati Porou has allowed public access to the mountain. There is a walkway up the mountain and there is a hikers' hut on the mountain, which lets climbers to stay the night and be ready for the sunrise. Another popular destinations to visit while in Ruatoria is Whakarua Memorial Park.

Ruatoria History

From about 1925 onwards, Ruatoria began to replace Tuparoa as the main urban centre of the East Coast district of New Zealand. The change to Ruatoria from Tuparoa was brought about by the increased security of State Highway 35, which at that time ran via the main street of Ruatoria. Tuparoa was disadvantaged by unreliable road access and a lack of all weather harbour.

Main Towns in the Eastland Region

Other Towns in the Eastland Region