Whakatane District

Whakatāne reckons it gets more sunshine than anywhere else in the country, and so does about half the rest of New Zealand, so make of that what you will. What’s not up for debate is Ōhope Beach, regularly voted the nation’s most loved, sitting just over the hill from town.

This is the eastern Bay at its best: river, ocean, the active cone of Whakaari out on the horizon, and a town that feels properly lived-in rather than dressed up for visitors. Fishing, farming and forestry keep it ticking, and the prices are friendlier than the western end of the Bay.

There are close to 40 suburbs and settlements across the district, from the township to Ōhope to the rural spots inland. This page gathers them so you can compare like for like: who lives where, what you’ll pay, how the schools stack up, and which streets put you closest to that beach.

Sun, surf and a town that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Pick a suburb and get stuck in.