Waitati

Waitati Waitete
Town
Coordinates: 45°45′S 170°34′E / 45.750°S 170.567°E / -45.750; 170.567
Country	New Zealand
Island	UTC+13 (NZDT)
Area code	03
Local iwi	Ngāi Tahu

Waitati, from the Māori Waitete,^[4][5] is a small seaside settlement in Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. It is located close to the tidal mudflats of Blueskin Bay, 19 kilometres north of the Dunedin city centre. The small Waitati River flows through the bay to the sea.

The

curves from east to north through Waitati. The old station yard remains as a train crossing loop and parts of the old station building are used by rail maintenance workers.

Waitati is home to a branch of the Dunedin Public Libraries, Blueskin Nurseries, a local school, a cafe and general store, and several holiday homes.

Demographics

Waitati-Doctors Point is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement. It covers 2.69 km² (1.04 sq mi),^[2] and had an estimated population of 630 as of June 2023,^[3] with a population density of 234 people per km². It is part of the much larger Mount Cargill statistical area.^[6]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
2006	501	—
2013	513	+0.34%
2018	573	+2.24%
Source: [7]

Waitati had a population of 573 at the

. There were 231 households, comprising 276 males and 297 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.93 males per female, with 120 people (20.9%) aged under 15 years, 51 (8.9%) aged 15 to 29, 327 (57.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 72 (12.6%) aged 65 or older.

Ethnicities were 90.1% European/Pākehā, 12.6% Māori, 1.6% Pasifika, 2.6% Asian, and 5.8% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.

Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 61.3% had no religion, 24.1% were Christian, 1.6% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.5% were Hindu, 1.0% were Buddhist and 4.7% had other religions.

Of those at least 15 years old, 201 (44.4%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 45 (9.9%) people had no formal qualifications. 93 people (20.5%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 225 (49.7%) people were employed full-time, 78 (17.2%) were part-time, and 18 (4.0%) were unemployed.^[7]

Alternative lifestylers and activism

For many years Waitati has been known for its appeal to those who pursue an

Waitati has no

Waitati has become an arrival point for German immigrants to New Zealand and has a high proportion of Germans and German-New Zealanders.^{[citation needed]}

The

and other wildlife.

Waitati Film Society screens films every second Tuesday night during most of the year (every Tuesday night in the middle of winter).

Waitati is part of New Zealand's "Transition Towns initiatives",

.

Education

Waitati School is a full primary school serving years 1 to 8,[13] with a roll of 64 students as at February 2024.^[14] The school's history dates back to 1864.^[15]

Notable residents

Former

References

Media related to Waitati at Wikimedia Commons