Ngongotahā is a town on the western shores of Lake Rotorua in New Zealand‘s North Island. It is 10 kilometers northwest of Rotorua city, and is part of the Rotorua metropolitan area.^[2] Its population was 4,107 in the 2013 census.^[3]

Its name is derived from a legend of Ihenga, the famous Māori explorer. It is said Īhenga met the Patu-paiarehe on Mount Ngongotahā and was offered a drink from a calabash. Ngongo means « to drink« , and tahā means « calabash« .^[4] Ngongotahā is often referred to by locals as the « Sunny side of the Mountain ».