Katikati is a town in New Zealand's North Island, located on the Uretara Stream near a tidal inlet towards the northern end of Tauranga Harbour, 28 kilometres south of Waihi and 40 kilometres northwest of Tauranga. State Highway 2 passes through the town. A bypass scheduled to have begun construction in 2008 was put on hold,[6] and is no longer planned.[7]
Katikati has become known for its many murals painted on walls of commercial buildings. These were started in the 1990s to regenerate tourist interest in the town and district, and led to the town being recognised New Zealand's 'Most Beautiful Small Town' award for towns of less than 8,000 population in 2005 by the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Society.[8]
In 2018, Katikati was named "Avocado Capital of New Zealand.[9] Besides its avocado orchards, there are many kiwi-fruit orchards in and around Katikati.
There are hot springs three kilometres to the south of Katikati at Sapphire Springs.[10]
The land upon which the town was built was taken from local Māori after the New Zealand Wars; initially confiscated in 1864, but the area confiscated was reduced by the Tauranga Land Act 1867, and the area which is now Katikati was then bought from Māori by the Government.[13] and was given to the settlers by the Central Government.[14] The settlement was established by the Englishman George Vesey Stewart, who led two groups of mostly Irish settlers there aboard the ships Carisbrook Castle (1875) and Lady Jocelyn (1878).[15]
The settlement was formed from two distinct groups: "the settlers useful" (tenant farmers) and "the settlers ornamental" (those with wealth). The settlement managed to withstand early economic problems and developed into a healthy town, based around farming and agriculture.[16] In the latter 19th century, the kauri gum digging trade became an important industry in the area. Katikati was one of the southernmost areas where the gum could be found, as it is close to the historical southern limit for where kauri trees could thrive.[17]
Katikati is situated on State Highway 2. There are proposals to bypass Katikati with an upgrade including two roundabouts.[19]
Katikati was previously on the East Coast Main Trunk railway line. The railway closed in September 1978 when the Kaimai Tunnel opened. The railway from Apata through to Paeroa remained in place until 1980. There were proposals to keep the section of railway from Apata to Katikati before it was dismantled.[20]
Demographics
Stats NZ describes Katikati as a small urban area, which covers 9.97km2 (3.85sqmi).[4] It had an estimated population of 6,030 as of June 2025,[5] with a population density of 605 people per km2.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±% p.a.
2006
3,624
—
2013
4,167
+2.01%
2018
5,136
+4.27%
2023
5,580
+1.67%
The 2006 population is for a smaller area of 9.53 km2. Source: [21][22]
Wall Painting on Main Road at Katikati
Katikati had a population of 5,580 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 444 people (8.6%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 1,413 people (33.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 2,643 males, 2,919 females, and 21 people of other genders in 2,334 dwellings.[23] 2.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 51.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 885 people (15.9%) aged under 15 years, 756 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 1,926 (34.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 2,016 (36.1%) aged 65 or older.[21]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 76.8% European (Pākehā); 16.8% Māori; 5.5% Pasifika; 12.3% Asian; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 95.9%, Māori by 3.6%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 12.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 26.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.[21]
Of those at least 15 years old, 681 (14.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 2,409 (51.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 1,608 (34.2%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $28,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 174 people (3.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,578 (33.6%) full-time, 558 (11.9%) part-time, and 120 (2.6%) unemployed.[21]
Katikati Primary School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 6 students,[26] with a roll of 480 as of July 2025.[27]
Katikati College is a co-educational state intermediate and high school for Year 7 to 13 students,[28][29] with a roll of 807.[30]
Three schools were established in Katikati in the late 1870s. No. 2 school was renamed Katikati Central School in 1892, and the three schools merged by 1931. The name changed to Katikati District High School in 1935 with the addition of secondary education. A new High School was built on the opposite side of the road in the early 1950s.[31]
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