Otaika
{{About|the location in New Zealand|the Polynesian dish|'Ota 'ika}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{use New Zealand English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Otaika
|area_total_km2 = 41.51
|population_total = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Otaika-Portland|y}}
|population_as_of = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y}}
|population_footnotes = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2||||y}}
|population_density_km2 = auto
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = New Zealand
|subdivision_type1= Region
|subdivision_name1= Northland Region
|subdivision_type2= District
|subdivision_name2= Whangarei District
|subdivision_type3= Ward
|subdivision_name3= Bream Bay Ward
|leader_title = Territorial Authority
|leader_name = Whangarei District Council
|leader_title1 = Regional council
|leader_name1 = Northland Regional Council
|leader_title2 = Mayor of Whangārei
|leader_name2 = {{NZ officeholder data|Whangarei District Mayor|y}}
|leader_title3 = Whangārei MP
|leader_name3 = {{NZ officeholder data|Whangarei MP|y}}
|leader_title4 = Te Tai Tokerau MP
|leader_name4 = {{NZ officeholder data|Te Tai Tokerau MP|y}}
|seat_type = Electorates
|seat = {{ubl|Whangārei|Te Tai Tokerau}}
|image_map = {{infobox mapframe|coord={{coord|35|47|13|S|174|18|20|E}}|zoom=10}}
|coordinates = {{coord|35|47|13|S|174|18|20|E|region:NZ|display=inline,title}}
}}
Otaika ({{langx|mi| Ōtaika}}) is a suburb of Whangārei 7 km south of the city in Northland, New Zealand. The Otaika Stream runs from the north west, through the area, and into the Whangārei Harbour. State Highway 1 runs through the locality. The hill Tikorangi (with a summit 161 m above sea level) lies to the South. Tikorangi is a source of limestone for Portland Cement.{{cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|isbn=0-7900-0952-8|editor=Peter Dowling |publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 7}}{{cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|isbn=1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 27}}{{cite book|title=Whangarei: The Founding Years|last=Pickmere|first=Nancy Preece|year=1986|pages=65}}
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of lying in a heap" for Ōtāika.{{Cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names|title=1000 Māori place names|publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|date=6 August 2019}}
History
In the 1830s, Okaika was a Māori village of Te Parawhau hapū. Tiakiriri was the chief.Pickmere, p 14 The first Pakeha settlers were Frederick and George Taylor, who were living at Otaika by 1856. More Pākehā settled further up the Okaika Valley around this time. George Edge's wandering geese were sometimes eaten by locals, leading to a nickname for the valley of "Kai-goose".Pickmere, pp 65-66
The local Toetoe Marae and Toetoe meeting house, located north of the village on the northern shores of the Otaika Stream, is a tribal meeting ground for the Ngāpuhi hapū of Te Parawhau and Te Uriroroi, and the Ngāti Whātua hapū of Te Uriroroi.{{cite web|title=Te Kāhui Māngai directory|url= http://www.tkm.govt.nz/ |website=tkm.govt.nz|publisher=Te Puni Kōkiri}}{{cite web |title=Māori Maps |url=https://maorimaps.com/map |website=maorimaps.com |publisher=Te Potiki National Trust}}
Demographics
The statistical area of Otaika-Portland, which also includes Portland, covers {{Convert|41.51|km2||abbr=on}}{{Cite web|title=ArcGIS Web Application|url=https://statsnz.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=6f49867abe464f86ac7526552fe19787| access-date=26 December 2023|website=statsnz.maps.arcgis.com}} and had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Otaika-Portland|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|y||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Otaika-Portland|y}}|R}}/41.51|0}} people per km2.
{{Historical populations|2006|1,107|2013|1,146|2018|1,338|2023|1,392|percentages=pagr|align=left|source={{NZ census 2018|Otaika-Portland (107700)|otaika-portland|Otaika-Portland}}}}
Otaika-Portland had a population of 1,392 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 54 people (4.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 246 people (21.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 705 males, 681 females and 6 people of other genders in 459 dwellings.{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.107700.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}} 2.8% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 42.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 261 people (18.8%) aged under 15 years, 243 (17.5%) aged 15 to 29, 645 (46.3%) aged 30 to 64, and 243 (17.5%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 83.0% European (Pākehā); 31.7% Māori; 3.7% Pasifika; 3.0% Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.0%, Māori language by 6.0%, Samoan by 0.2%, and other languages by 4.5%. No language could be spoken by 2.2% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 25.9% Christian, 0.4% Hindu, 2.6% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.9% New Age, and 0.9% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 60.3%, and 8.2% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 120 (10.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 669 (59.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 300 (26.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $38,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 102 people (9.0%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 555 (49.1%) people were employed full-time, 144 (12.7%) were part-time, and 33 (2.9%) were unemployed.{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.107700.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Otaika-Portland (107700)}}
Education
Otaika Valley School is a coeducational contributing primary (years 1–6) school with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|1068|y}} students as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|y||.}}{{TKI|1068|Otaika Valley School}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Whangarei District}}