What to do in Whakatane? 5 free things

What to do in Whakatane?

After staying in Rotorua recently, I headed to Whakatane to take a look at the Op Shops there, and also made time to explore some of the free things there are to do in the area. 

The Lady on the Rock

First up in the What to do in Whakatane?  was to visit The Lady On The Rock, which is of special significance to the Whakatane region. The Lady On The Rock statue was revealed in 1965 at Whakatane Heads. She sits on top of Turuturu Rock, to acknowledge the bravery of Wairaka, the daughter of Toroa. Toroa was the captain of the Mataatua waka when they arrived at Whakatane from the Ngati Awa’s homeland, Hawaiki, 600 years ago.

While the men were ashore, the canoe filled with women began to drift back to sea. Wairaka took the oars and rowed the women ashore. In this time, women were not allowed to control a canoe, it was considered tapu. As she rowed, she called out “Kia Whakatāne au i ahau’ – I will act the part of a man.” This is where the name Whakatane came from. 

​​Wairere Waterfall.

It turns out that right in the heart of the Town Centre, there is an easy, short walk to the Wairere Waterfall. A Mill was constructed in the area back in the late 1800s and was originally used as a Flax Mill, then a number of other uses until it burnt down. The stream supplied the water to Whakatane until 1924. Te Wairere was one of three landmarks used by Toroa, the captain of the Maatua Canoe, when he was searching for Kakahoroa (The original name for Whakatane), and the site was made a scenic reserve in 1971.

 

Muriwai’s Cave

I also visited Muriwai’s Cave (Te Ana O Muriwai) which is named after another of Toroa’s daughters. Muriwai’s Cave is another of the 3 landmarks Toroa was told to look for when searching for Whakatane.

Te Papaka

Te Papaka is another special site I visited, which is a lookout named after Awanuiarangi, of Ngati Awa descent. While collecting seafood near to Te Papaka, his wife told him he looked like a crab, and so the Pa was named Te Papaka o Awanuiarangi, or Te Papaka. It looks out over Whakatane and you can see White Island in the distance. There is another lookout Puketapu however it was closed when I visited.

 

To find out more about things to do in Whakatane, you can visit www.whakatane.com where there is plenty of information on things to see and do.

Op shopping

As always, I was keen to see the local op shops. Whakatane and the surrounding areas are known for having a variety of stores, and although I visited more than the ones listed below – these were by far my favourites, in terms of variety and especially how well they were priced.  

I found something to buy in each of the below shops. Iit really is interesting how some shops create the perfect opportunity to buy, give great service, and make you want to go back, while other shops are not so polite, and are priced like an antique store, while still being an op shop. These stores below were fantastic, and I hope you will take the time to visit them if you are in the area. 

St Johns Hospice EBOP  Shop, Salvation Army Family Store, Crew Community. SPCA Whakatane – Which had some really great bargains! and Opportunity knocks – No website, but you can find them in Boon Street. 

I have plans to return to Whakatane in the future. It really is a beautiful place, and for a small town there is so much to see and do, and I know I have a lot more to discover next time. I hoped I gave you an answer to the question What to do in Whakatane? If you love op shopping make sure to check out this blog here Also if you have any suggestions on What to do in Whakatane for my next visit be sure to let me know.

Added bonus: While I was in the Bay of Plenty area, I also got to drive over to Kawerau, where I visited Angela and Justin, who own Creation Station NZ. It’s always nice to meet people in real life, after knowing them so long online!