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Otaika
Otaika (Māori: Ōtaika) is a suburb of Whangārei 7 km south of the city in Northland, New Zealand. The Otaika Stream runs from the north west, through the area, and into the Whangārei Harbour. State Highway 1 runs through the locality. The hill Tikorangi (with a summit 161 m above sea level) lies to the South. Tikorangi is a source of limestone for Portland Cement.[3][4][5] The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of lying in a heap" for Ōtāika.[6] HistoryIn the 1830s, Okaika was a Māori village of Te Parawhau hapū. Tiakiriri was the chief.[7] The first Pakeha settlers were Frederick and George Taylor, who were living at Otaika by 1856.[5] More Pākehā settled further up the Okaika Valley around this time. George Edge's wandering geese were sometimes eaten by locals, leading to a nickname for the valley of "Kai-goose".[8] The local Toetoe Marae and Toetoe meeting house, located north of the village on the northern shores of the Otaika Stream, is a tribal meeting ground for the Ngāpuhi hapū of Te Parawhau and Te Uriroroi, and the Ngāti Whātua hapū of Te Uriroroi.[9][10] DemographicsThe statistical area of Otaika-Portland, which also includes Portland, covers 41.51 km2 (16.03 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 1,500 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 36 people per km2.
Otaika-Portland had a population of 1,392 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 54 people (4.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 246 people (21.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 705 males, 681 females and 6 people of other genders in 459 dwellings.[13] 2.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 42.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 261 people (18.8%) aged under 15 years, 243 (17.5%) aged 15 to 29, 645 (46.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 243 (17.5%) aged 65 or older.[12] People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.0% European (Pākehā); 31.7% Māori; 3.7% Pasifika; 3.0% Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.0%, Māori language by 6.0%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 4.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.4, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 25.9% Christian, 0.4% Hindu, 2.6% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.9% New Age, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.3%, and 8.2% of people did not answer the census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 120 (10.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 669 (59.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 300 (26.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $38,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 102 people (9.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 555 (49.1%) people were employed full-time, 144 (12.7%) were part-time, and 33 (2.9%) were unemployed.[12] EducationOtaika Valley School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of 136 students as of August 2024.[14][15] References
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