in the streets of Whitianga

According to Māori legend, the Polynesian navigator and explorer Kupe landed in the Whitianga area ,which gave the entrance to the natural harbour of Whitianga Harbour the name Whitianga-a-Kupe. In the language of Māori "whitianga" means passage or ford.

For decades Whitianga was the port city for the export of wood to numerous countries, e.g. Norway, France or Italy. It used to be a centre for the processing of flax, wood from kauri trees, boat building, mining and the extraction of rubber.