Whakatane Overlook

Whakatāne

Whakatāne town (population 15,850) sits beside the Whakatāne River and Pacific coast. It is the commercial hub of the Eastern Bay of Plenty. There’s a vibrant retail and commercial district, with excellent shopping, cafes and restaurants, an award-winning library and exhibition centre, and more. In fact, in 2022, Whakatāne was named Supreme Winner at the Keep NZ Beautiful Awards. 

Rotorua and Tauranga are both within 100 km and the new State Highway 2 Eastern Link will mean you can typically drive between Whakatāne and Tauranga in less than an hour. The Whakatāne-Auckland road trip takes less than four hours, or just 35 minutes by air with a regular service from Air Chathams. Driving between Whakatāne and Hamilton takes about two hours.

In Whakatāne, you are within relatively easy reach of about half of New Zealand's population.

Much more information about Whakatāne is available in the Visit section of this site (see tabs above), including things to do, restaurants and shops, and much more.

People walking along river with playground in background

Whakatāne Town

Whakatāne has a busy shopping precinct with a vast range of delectable cafes and restaurants, boutique fashion and homeware stores, bookshops, several sporting and recreation outlets and more.