Otaika

Otaika () is a village 7 km to the south of Whangarei in Northland, New Zealand. The Otaika Stream runs from the north west, through the area, and into the Whangarei 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.

According to the 2013 New Zealand census, Otaika and Portland have a population of 1,047, an increase of 57 people since the 2006 census. There were 513 males and 534 females.

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of lying in a heap" for Ōtāika.

History

In the 1830s, Okaika was a Māori village of Te Parawhau hapū. Tiakiriri was the chief. The first Pakeha settlers were Frederick and George Taylor, who were living at Otaika by 1856. 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".

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.

Education
Otaika Valley School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1-6) school with a roll of  students as of

References

Category:Whangarei District
Category:Populated places in the Northland Region