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Ruawai
Former Ruawai Post Office and telephone exchange
Former Ruawai Post Office and telephone exchange
Country New Zealand
Region Northland Region
District Kaipara District
Ward Otamatea Ward
Electorates
  • Northland
  • Te Tai Tokerau
Area
 • Total 3.21 km2 (1.24 sq mi)
Population
 (June 2023)
 • Total 520
 • Density 162.0/km2 (420/sq mi)

Ruawai (which means 'two waters' in Māori) is a small town in Northland, New Zealand. It's about 30 kilometers south of Dargaville. The name comes from the nearby Northern Wairoa River and Kaipara Harbour.

Ruawai is a farming town. It's especially known for growing kumara, a type of sweet potato. People in Ruawai even call their town the "Kumara capital of the world"!

The local Naumai Marae and Ngā Uri o te Kotahitanga meeting house is a special gathering place for the Ngāti Whātua and Te Uri o Hau Māori tribes.

History of Ruawai

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Ruawai was a place where people dug for kauri gum. Kauri gum was a valuable natural resin from kauri trees, used for things like varnish.

People of Ruawai

Statistics New Zealand describes Ruawai as a rural settlement. It covers about 3.21 square kilometers. In the 2023 New Zealand census, Ruawai had 480 people living there. This was a small increase from the 2018 census.

  • There were 246 males and 234 females.
  • The average age was 48.6 years.
  • About 19.4% of the people were under 15 years old.
  • Most people (78.1%) identified as European (Pākehā).
  • A large number (41.2%) identified as Māori.
  • English was spoken by almost everyone (98.1%).
  • About 5.0% of people also spoke the Māori language.
  • Most people either had no religion (49.4%) or were Christian (36.2%).

Ruawai-Matakohe Area

Ruawai is part of a larger area called Ruawai-Matakohe. This area also includes the towns of Matakohe and Tinopai. This bigger area covers about 530 square kilometers. In the 2023 census, the Ruawai-Matakohe area had 2,631 people.

Education in Ruawai

Ruawai has two main schools:

  • Ruawai College: This is a secondary school for students in years 7 to 13.
  • Ruawai School: This is a primary school for younger students in years 1 to 6.

Both schools teach boys and girls together. In 1995, Ruawai College was one of the first schools in New Zealand to get a fast internet connection for the whole campus. This helped the school and the local community get online easily.

Notable People from Ruawai

Some well-known people have connections to Ruawai:

  • Lockwood Smith: A politician from New Zealand.
  • Roy Billing: A famous New Zealand actor who grew up in Ruawai and went to Ruawai High School.
  • Grace Gooder
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