The town of Tairua is on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies at the mouth of the Tairua River on its north bank and on the small Paku Peninsula.^[3] Tairua is a Māori name which translates literally as tai: tides, rua: two.^[4]

Directly opposite Tairua on the south bank of the river’s estuary is the smaller settlement of Pauanui. The two settlements are 30 kilometres east of Thames although the town has closer connections with the sea side resort town Whangamatā. Several islands lie off the mouth of the river, notably Slipper Island to the southeast and the Aldermen Islands 20 kilometres to the east. Mount Paku is an extinct volcano that lies by Tairua Harbour. It was thought to have formed the Alderman Islands.

History and features

The earliest occupation of the area was once thought to have been by early Polynesian explorers based on the discovery of a pearl-shell (not native to New Zealand) lure shank found here^[5] and originally carbon-dated to the 11th century.^[4] Subsequent reassessment of the archaeological site has resulted in dates in the 14th century.^[6]

Early European settlers to the area, in the late 19th century, were primarily drawn by timber stocks (predominantly kauri) and gold prospecting.^[7]

From the late 1960s Tairua has become a holiday destination,^[7] with major activities including game fishing, scuba diving, and surfing.

Radio Tairua is an independent radio station on frequency 88.3FM, which has broadcast to the area since May 2007.^[8]

The local Oturu Marae is located in Tairua. It is a tribal meeting ground for Ngāti Rautao and includes the Ngatau Wiwi meeting house.^[9][10]