Porangahau | |
|---|---|
  Porangahau | |
| Coordinates: 40°18′07″S176°36′45″E / 40.3019°S 176.6126°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Hawke's Bay |
| Territorial authority | Central Hawke's Bay District |
Porangahau, a township close to the Pacific Ocean coast in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand, has a very small population. It lies in the southernmost part of Hawke's Bay, 45 kilometres south of Waipukurau, and close to the mouth of the Porangahau River. There settlement includes a marae and a school.
Township refers to various kinds of settlements in different countries.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south and is bounded by Asia and Australia in the west and the Americas in the east.
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island's area is 113,729 square kilometres (43,911 sq mi), making it the world's 14th-largest island. It has a population of 3,749,200.
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The Māori name Porangahau expresses the idea of a night (po) of pursuit or of retreat (rangahau). [1]
Māori, also known as te reo, is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and Tahitian, it gained recognition as one of New Zealand's official languages in 1987. The number of speakers of the language has declined sharply since 1945, but a Māori language revitalisation effort slowed the decline, and the language has experienced a revival, particularly since about 2015.
Six kilometres northeast of the township stands an insubstantial hill, with the longest place name in the world: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. [2] [3]
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is a hill near Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. The height of the hill is 305 metres (1,001 ft). The hill is notable primarily for its unusually long name, which is of Māori origin; it is often shortened to Taumata for brevity. It has gained a measure of fame as it is the longest place name found in any English-speaking country, and possibly the longest place name in the world; according to World Atlas. The name of the hill has also been listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest place name. Other versions of the name, including longer ones, are also sometimes used.
The area west of the main township, known as Mangaorapa, was used for sheep farming during the 20th century. [4] The area has more recently been used for cattle farming and wine growing. [5] The 2370 hectare Mangaorapa Station was the most expensive farm in Central Hawke's Bay when it was sold in 2005. [6]
