Te Whiti, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Te Whiti, formerly Te Whiti o Tu in the nineteenth century, is a rural community in the Wairarapa
region of New Zealand
's North Island
. Its status has been under dispute and threatened in the twentieth century, and Land Information New Zealand acknowledges Te Whiti solely as a homestead. Its full former name means "the place of crossing" in the Māori language
, reflecting its location near a natural crossing of the Ruamahanga River
, which runs north and west of the locality and is met by the Tauweru River
that flows across the south of Te Whiti. In relation to major Wairarapa centres, Te Whiti is south of Masterton
and east of Carterton
, while nearby communities include Te Whanga to the east and Gladstone
and Longbush
to the south. The Maungaraki Range is also nearby.
Te Whiti is one of the oldest settled locations in the Wairarapa, established prior to Masterton by Hugh McKenzie in the early 1850s. A primary school was located in Te Whiti until it was closed in 1968 and students sent to Gladstone; the school buildings remained for use by community groups until 2000.
Wairarapa
Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...
region of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. Its status has been under dispute and threatened in the twentieth century, and Land Information New Zealand acknowledges Te Whiti solely as a homestead. Its full former name means "the place of crossing" in the Māori language
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
, reflecting its location near a natural crossing of the Ruamahanga River
Ruamahanga River
The Ruamahanga River runs through the southeastern North Island of New Zealand.The river's headwaters are in the Tararua Ranges northwest of Masterton. From there it runs firstly south and then southwest for 130 kilometers before emptying into the Cook Strait. The towns of Masterton and...
, which runs north and west of the locality and is met by the Tauweru River
Tauweru River
The Tauweru River, sometimes called the Taueru River, is a river in the Wairarapa region of New Zealand's North Island. It drains from the pastoral eastern highlands of the Wairarapa and joins the Ruamahanga River just north of the Gladstone Road bridge into Gladstone, southeast of Carterton...
that flows across the south of Te Whiti. In relation to major Wairarapa centres, Te Whiti is south of Masterton
Masterton
Masterton is a large town and local government district in the Wellington Region of New Zealand. It is the largest town in the Wairarapa, a region separated from Wellington by the Rimutaka ranges...
and east of Carterton
Carterton, New Zealand
Carterton is a small town in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and the seat of the Carterton District. It lies in a farming area of the Wairarapa in New Zealand's North Island. It is located southwest of Masterton and northeast of Wellington...
, while nearby communities include Te Whanga to the east and Gladstone
Gladstone, New Zealand
Gladstone is a lightly populated locality in the Carterton District of New Zealand's North Island, located on the Mangahuia Stream near where the Tauweru River joins the Ruamahanga River. The nearest town is Carterton 15 kilometres to the northwest, and nearby settlements include Ponatahi to the...
and Longbush
Longbush, Wairarapa
Longbush is a community in the South Wairarapa District of New Zealand's North Island. It is located in a valley southeast of the town of Carterton, and nearby settlements include Gladstone and Ponatahi to the north....
to the south. The Maungaraki Range is also nearby.
Te Whiti is one of the oldest settled locations in the Wairarapa, established prior to Masterton by Hugh McKenzie in the early 1850s. A primary school was located in Te Whiti until it was closed in 1968 and students sent to Gladstone; the school buildings remained for use by community groups until 2000.