Oruaiti facts for kids

Oruaiti is a small place in Northland, New Zealand. It is located right on State Highway 10. To its west, you'll find Mangonui, and to its east is Whangaroa Harbour.

The name Ōruaiti means "place of a small pit." This translation comes from the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Who Lives in Oruaiti?

The area around Oruaiti, which includes places like Hihi and Taemaro, is called the Taemaro-Oruaiti statistical area. This area covers about 156.80 square kilometers.

How Many People Live Here?

As of 2023, the estimated population for the Taemaro-Oruaiti area was 1,101 people. This means there are about 7 people living in each square kilometer.

The number of people living in the area has grown quite a bit:

• In 2006, there were 729 people.
• In 2013, the number dropped slightly to 666.
• By 2018, it went up to 867 people.
• In 2023, it reached 1,101 people.

This shows a big increase of 27% since 2018 and a 65% increase since 2013.

What is the Community Like?

In 2023, there were 1,101 people living in 411 homes. There were slightly more males (558) than females (543). The average age of people living here was 51.5 years old. This is a bit older than the national average of 38.1 years.

• About 17.4% of the people were under 15 years old.
• About 13.1% were between 15 and 29 years old.
• About 46% were between 30 and 64 years old.
• About 23.4% were 65 years or older.

People in Oruaiti come from many different backgrounds:

• About 71.9% are European (also called Pākehā).
• About 44.4% are Māori.
• Smaller groups include Pasifika (4.1%) and Asian (3.3%).

Most people (98.1%) speak English. Some also speak the Māori language (13.9%).

What Do People Do for Work?

For people aged 15 and older, about 34.7% work full-time, and 15.5% work part-time. A small number (3.6%) were looking for work.

The average income in Oruaiti was $25,400 per year. This is less than the national average of $41,500. About 5.3% of people earned over $100,000 a year.

Learning in Oruaiti

Oruaiti has its own school called Oruaiti School.

What is Oruaiti School?

Oruaiti School is a school for both boys and girls. It teaches students from Year 1 to Year 8, which means children from about 5 to 13 years old. As of 2023, there were 110 students attending the school.

The school first opened its doors in 1896. In the early 1960s, it became a special "experimental school" under its principal, Elwyn Richardson. This means they tried new ways of teaching and learning.