Kawerau is in the eastern Bay of Plenty at the foot of Pūtauaki (Mt Edgecumbe), around 35 minutes from Whakatāne and just over an hour from Rotorua, surrounded by the Kāingaroa forests.

Why was Kawerau built?

Kawerau was built by the government in the 1950s as a complete planned town for workers at the Tasman pulp and paper mill, one of the few New Zealand towns constructed from scratch to a single plan.

What is the King of the Mountain race?

The King of the Mountain is Kawerau's annual race up and down Pūtauaki, a steep volcanic cone climb that has run for decades and crowns one of regional sport's tougher titles.

How do you visit Tarawera Falls?

Tarawera Falls, where the river bursts from a cliff face in the forest near Kawerau, is reached via forestry roads with a permit purchased in town, then a short bush walk. Check current access before travelling.

How do I get from Rotorua to Kawerau?

By car, around 1 hour 10 minutes east via State Highway 30 through the forests. InterCity services connect Kawerau toward Whakatāne and Rotorua.

Which schools are in zone for Kawerau?

Children living in Kawerau are in zone for Kawerau South School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Kawerau?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Kawerau, Bay of Plenty | Postcode, Population & Property Values

Living in Kawerau

Kawerau is a Bay of Plenty town of around 7,000 people at the foot of Pūtauaki, the perfect volcanic cone also known as Mt Edgecumbe, and it holds a distinction few New Zealand towns can claim: it was built all at once, on purpose. The government constructed Kawerau from scratch in the 1950s to house the Tasman pulp and paper mill's workforce, a complete planned town delivered like a kitset, and the mid-century bones still show in the generous sections and ordered streets.

The town literally runs on the heat beneath it. Kawerau sits on a geothermal field that powers the industry and warms the local pools, giving the town the quiet flex of geothermally heated swimming while the rest of the country shivers through squad training.

Pūtauaki dominates every view and hosts the King of the Mountain race, a lung-destroying annual sprint up and down the cone that breeds a particular kind of local legend. Tarawera Falls, reached through the forest with a permit from town, delivers one of the North Island's most striking waterfalls, emerging straight out of a cliff face.

Tarawera High School carries the secondary years. The houses remain among the most affordable in the country, and the town's loyalty to itself remains entirely unaffordable. Both facts are related.

Is Kawerau a good place to live?

Kawerau is home to roughly 7,536 people across 21.5 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Kawerau scores 52 out of 100, with a safety score of 12/100 and 16% green space.

Schools: Kawerau has 5 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $425K, and weekly rent typically sits around $335.

Lifestyle: Kawerau has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. The current temperature is 0.3°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Kawerau is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety12
Amenities100
Schools37
Housing Affordability88
Green space53
Community11
Transport30

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $425K
Median Weekly Rent: $335/wk
Median HH Income: $58K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +5.8%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Kawerau District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kawerau?: Kawerau is in the eastern Bay of Plenty at the foot of Pūtauaki (Mt Edgecumbe), around 35 minutes from Whakatāne and just over an hour from Rotorua, surrounded by the Kāingaroa forests.
Why was Kawerau built?: Kawerau was built by the government in the 1950s as a complete planned town for workers at the Tasman pulp and paper mill, one of the few New Zealand towns constructed from scratch to a single plan.
What is the King of the Mountain race?: The King of the Mountain is Kawerau's annual race up and down Pūtauaki, a steep volcanic cone climb that has run for decades and crowns one of regional sport's tougher titles.
How do you visit Tarawera Falls?: Tarawera Falls, where the river bursts from a cliff face in the forest near Kawerau, is reached via forestry roads with a permit purchased in town, then a short bush walk. Check current access before travelling.
How do I get from Rotorua to Kawerau?: By car, around 1 hour 10 minutes east via State Highway 30 through the forests. InterCity services connect Kawerau toward Whakatāne and Rotorua.
Which schools are in zone for Kawerau?: Children living in Kawerau are in zone for Kawerau South School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.
How do I check my school zone in Kawerau?: Use the School Zone Checker on this page. Enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kawerau

Schools in zone for Kawerau

Children living in Kawerau have a guaranteed right to enrol at these school, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

Kawerau South School
Contributing · roll 317 · decile 1

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Kawerau. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Kawerau that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Te Tari Ako Matua Taiohi Education Centre
Teen Parent Unit · 0.2 km away
Tarawera High School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 448 · decile 1 · 1.0 km away
Te Whata Tau o Putauaki
Composite · roll 96 · decile 1 · 1.4 km away
Kawerau Putauaki School
Contributing · roll 131 · decile 2 · 1.8 km away

Explore Kawerau

Things to do(10)

Gun club

Dump station

Raw Maori Fitness 247 GYM

Stoneham Walk

Kingdom Hauora 3127

Elite procurement 2020 ltd

Kawerau Sports Club Inc

K FIT (Kawerau Fitness)

Prideaux Park

The Kawerau Bowling Club

Parks & green spaces(2)

Stoneham Walk

Prideaux Park

Healthcare(5)

Kawerau Medical Centre

Kawerau Pharmacy

K Town Pharmacy

Mountain View Resthome

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	23.25	15.02	9.28	9.61
☀️ Feb	23.73	14.47	7.29	9.6
🍂 Mar	22.17	10.91	2.52	10.28
🍂 Apr	19.84	10.78	3.61	8.17
🍂 May	16.36	8.37	8.82	7.3
❄️ Jun	15.03	7.26	6.28	6.97
❄️ Jul	14.37	5.17	3.74	7.17
❄️ Aug	14.82	4.37	2.62	8.27
🌸 Sep	17.45	6.96	4.83	9.13
🌸 Oct	18.99	8.74	4.77	10.16
🌸 Nov	21	10.65	4.02	10.97
☀️ Dec	23.81	14.14	6.07	10.79

Living in Kawerau

Is Kawerau a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Kawerau

Schools in zone for Kawerau

Kawerau South School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Te Tari Ako Matua Taiohi Education Centre

Tarawera High School

Te Whata Tau o Putauaki

Kawerau Putauaki School

Explore Kawerau

🎯Things to do(10)

Gun club

Dump station

Raw Maori Fitness 247 GYM

Stoneham Walk

Kingdom Hauora 3127

Elite procurement 2020 ltd

Kawerau Sports Club Inc

K FIT (Kawerau Fitness)

Prideaux Park

The Kawerau Bowling Club

🌳Parks & green spaces(2)

Stoneham Walk

Prideaux Park

🏥Healthcare(5)

Kawerau Medical Centre

Kawerau Pharmacy

K Town Pharmacy

Mountain View Resthome

Active Health Services

Eat & Drink in Kawerau

🍽️Places to eat & drink(17)

The Woodsmen restaurant and Grill

Korner Bar

The Mansoon Limited Indian restaurant

Caymans Sports Bar

The Bakehouse Cafe

Larry's Takeaways

Golden Horse Chinese Takeaway

KEA Night Market

Jive Cafe

Delish Pizza Kawerau

Pizza Hut Kawerau

Town And Country Food

The Bakehouse Cafe Kawerau

The Mansoon Limited

KK Bean

Beyti's Turkish Cafe

Cayman's Sports Bar

Tradies & Services in Kawerau

🔧Tradies & services(20)

Allied Industrial Engineering

Auto Electrical Services

Bay Building Inspections

BNR Automotive

BOP Plumbing and Gas

Bridgestone Tyre Centre - Kawerau

C.C.R Automotive

Computech Alarms and Security

Drivin Autos

East Bay Fences and Decks

Hutec Group

JDC Refrigeration and Electrical

Jones & Cole Electrical

Jones and Cole Electrical

Kawerau Automotive Mechanics

Kawerau Engineering

Mainstream Engineering

Powell's Pest Control

TWOH Contracting

Wm Ross Engineering

Things to do(10)

Parks & green spaces(2)

Healthcare(5)

Places to eat & drink(17)

Tradies & services(20)

Shops(10)

Beauty & fitness(16)

Professional services(8)

Places to stay(5)