Te Whaiti

Te Whaiti or Te Whāiti, formerly called Ahikereru, is a forested area in the Whakatāne District and Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand's North Island. It is at the northern end of the Ahikereru valley – Minginui is at the southern end.^[1] The Whirinaki River flows through the valley.

The area's full Māori name, Te Whāiti-nui-a-Toi, translates as "the great canyon of Toi",^[2] referring to an ancestor of this area, Toi-kai-rākau / Toi-te-huatahi.

Albert Percy Godber took photographs of Māori art and architecture in the area.^[3]

Te Whaiti is in the rohe (tribal area) of both Tūhoe and Ngāti Whare.

It has three marae:^[4][5]

• Waikotikoti Marae and Hinenuitepo meeting house is affiliated with the Tūhoe hapū of Te Karaha, Ngāti Hāmua, Warahoe, and with Ngāti Whare.
• Murumurunga Marae and Wharepakau meeting house is affiliated with both iwi.
• Waireporepo Marae is a meeting ground of Ngāti Whare; it has no meeting house.

In October 2020, the Government committed $793,189 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the Waikotikoti and Murumurunga Marae, creating 20 jobs.^[6]

A school opened in Te Whaiti in 1896^[7] and merged with Minginui Forest School in 2004. The school is now Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi, a co-educational state, Restricted Composite Special Character School.

• Te Urewera
• Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park

38°35′S 176°47′E / 38.583°S 176.783°E / -38.583; 176.783

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