The township has a walkway, shops and public facilities.[6] It was one of the only areas in Great Barrier Island with good mobile and internet connectivity.[7]
SeaLink New Zealand operates a 4.5 hour car ferry between Tryphena and Wynyard Quarter. The Tryphena wharf has a shelter, wheelchair toilet and limited short-term parking. There is no terminal, ticket office, long-term parking or public transport.[8]
During the 19th century, early European settlers arrived in the bay, calling it Port Tofino.[10]
The settlement was renamed Tryphena, after a brig of the same name made several visits to Great Barrier Island between 1841 and 1845.[10]
Tryphena House was built in front of the original Tryphena wharf in 1923, using the remnants of a shipwreck in the bay. The building is now used for accommodation.[9]
Statistics New Zealand describes Tryphena as a rural settlement, which covers 3.75km2 (1.45sqmi)[4] and had an estimated population of 200 as of June 2025,[5] with a population density of 53 people per km2. Tryphena is part of the larger Barrier Islands statistical area.[12]
Tryphena had a population of 198 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 3 people (−1.5%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 21 people (11.9%) since the 2013 census. There were 105 males, 96 females and 3 people of other genders in 108 dwellings.[15] 3.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 51.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 27 people (13.6%) aged under 15 years, 18 (9.1%) aged 15 to 29, 96 (48.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 54 (27.3%) aged 65 or older.[14]
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 84.8% European (Pākehā), 27.3% Māori, 1.5% Pasifika, 4.5% Asian, and 6.1% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.0%, Māori language by 6.1%, and other languages by 10.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 18.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 18.2% Christian, 1.5% Māori religious beliefs, 3.0% New Age, and 1.5% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 69.7%, and 9.1% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (10.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 96 (56.1%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 54 (31.6%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $27,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 12 people (7.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 69 (40.4%) people were employed full-time, 27 (15.8%) were part-time, and 3 (1.8%) were unemployed.[14]
Education
Mulberry Grove School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school[16] with a roll of 26 students as of July 2025.[17] The school was established in 1962. Tryphena School operated from 1884 to 1939, when it closed because the roll was very low.[18]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
