# Purerua Peninsula

Purerua Peninsula is a peninsula on the northwest side of the Bay of Islands in Northland, New Zealand. Te Puna Inlet lies to the south of the peninsula. Communities on the peninsula are Purerua, Te Tii and Taronui Bay. Rangihoua Bay is at the southern end of the peninsula.
Te Tii has two marae, belonging to the Ngāpuhi hapū of Ngāti Rēhia: Hiruhārama Hou Marae and meeting house, and Whitiora Marae and Te Ranga Tira Tanga meeting house.
Another local marae, Wharengaere, is a meeting place of the Ngāpuhi hapū of Ngāti Mau and Ngāti Torehina.

## Demographics

Purerua Peninsula covers 48.21 km$^2$ (18.61 sq mi). It is part of the larger Rangitane-Purerua statistical area.
Purerua Peninsula had a population of 222 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 21 people (10.4%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 51 people (29.8%) since the 2013 census. There were 117 males and 105 females in 81 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 46.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 42 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 39 (17.6%) aged 15 to 29, 102 (45.9%) aged 30 to 64, and 39 (17.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 66.2% European (Pākehā), 55.4% Māori, 6.8% Pasifika, and 1.4% Asian. English was spoken by 97.3%, Māori language by 25.7%, and other languages by 6.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.4% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 17.6, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 29.7% Christian, 8.1% Māori religious beliefs, 1.4% New Age, and 1.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.1%, and 6.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 27 (15.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 96 (53.3%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 48 (26.7%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $36,600, compared with $41,500 nationally. 15 people (8.3%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 90 (50.0%) people were employed full-time, 30 (16.7%) were part-time, and 12 (6.7%) were unemployed.

### Rangitane-Purerua statistical area

The statistical area of Rangitane-Purerua, which includes Rangitane and Tākou Bay, covers 123.16 km$^2$ (47.55 sq mi) and had an estimated population of 1,750 as of June 2024, with a population density of 14.2 people per km$^2$.
Rangitane-Purerua had a population of 1,581 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 75 people (5.0%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 411 people (35.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 783 males, 798 females and 3 people of other genders in 597 dwellings. 1.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 50.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 288 people (18.2%) aged under 15 years, 183 (11.6%) aged 15 to 29, 753 (47.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 357 (22.6%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 75.1% European (Pākehā); 35.9% Māori; 3.6% Pasifika; 1.9% Asian; 0.8% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 98.3%, Māori language by 13.9%, Samoan by 0.4% and other languages by 7.6%. No language could be spoken by 0.9% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 22.2, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 27.7% Christian, 5.1% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.6% New Age, 0.2% Jewish, and 1.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.7%, and 6.6% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 219 (16.9%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 705 (54.5%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 297 (23.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $35,900, compared with $41,500 nationally. 135 people (10.4%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 546 (42.2%) people were employed full-time, 189 (14.6%) were part-time, and 39 (3.0%) were unemployed.

## Education

Bay of Islands International Academy is a state-funded Year 1–8 New Zealand primary school which opened in January 2013 in the existing buildings and grounds of the former Te Tii School on the Purerua Peninsula, about 17 km north of Kerikeri township. A Purerua Public School had been in existence since 1906, with a ferry service from Te Tii. The academy's Māori name is Te Whare Mātauranga o Te Tii.
The academy is an authorised IB World School offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. The programme emphasises academic achievement, inquiry-style learning and an international, multicultural curriculum. All students are required to learn a second language. The school serves the Kerikeri/Waipapa/Purerua area of New Zealand's Far North District and has capacity for about 100 students. Its roll was 69 as of November 2024. An enrolment zone is in effect.
Bay of Islands International Academy is sited on two hectares (five acres) of grounds. Facilities include four classrooms, a library, a resource room, administrative space, a swimming pool, and play areas. The school is connected to the internet via 100 Mbit/s fibre optic ultra-fast broadband, and all learning spaces have WiFi coverage. Following the 2013 national census the school shifted from decile 3 to decile 6, indicating a substantial shift in the population of attending students.

## Climate

Climate data for Purerua (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1999–present) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 31.0 (87.8) | 28.6 (83.5) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.4 (74.1) | 21.2 (70.2) | 18.9 (66.0) | 20.5 (68.9) | 22.9 (73.2) | 24.2 (75.6) | 26.8 (80.2) | 28.2 (82.8) | 31.0 (87.8) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 26.7 (80.1) | 26.6 (79.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.2 (73.8) | 20.8 (69.4) | 18.9 (66.0) | 17.9 (64.2) | 18.3 (64.9) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.6 (74.5) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.4 (81.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.9 (73.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 22.2 (72.0) | 20.4 (68.7) | 18.2 (64.8) | 16.2 (61.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 15.6 (60.1) | 16.8 (62.2) | 18.1 (64.6) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.2 (66.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.8 (67.6) | 18.7 (65.7) | 16.9 (62.4) | 15.0 (59.0) | 12.9 (55.2) | 12.2 (54.0) | 12.3 (54.1) | 13.3 (55.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.8 (60.4) | 17.8 (64.0) | 15.7 (60.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.2 (61.2) | 15.1 (59.2) | 13.5 (56.3) | 11.7 (53.1) | 9.7 (49.5) | 9.0 (48.2) | 9.0 (48.2) | 9.8 (49.6) | 10.8 (51.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 14.1 (57.4) | 12.2 (54.0) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 11.4 (52.5) | 9.2 (48.6) | 7.0 (44.6) | 5.4 (41.7) | 4.3 (39.7) | 5.2 (41.4) | 5.8 (42.4) | 6.8 (44.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.4 (50.7) | 4.0 (39.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.9 (51.6) | 7.8 (46.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 4.1 (39.4) | 3.0 (37.4) | 1.9 (35.4) | 2.5 (36.5) | 3.5 (38.3) | 4.8 (40.6) | 6.1 (43.0) | 8.2 (46.8) | 1.9 (35.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 57.5 (2.26) | 77.0 (3.03) | 94.8 (3.73) | 121.7 (4.79) | 127.6 (5.02) | 138.3 (5.44) | 119.8 (4.72) | 130.0 (5.12) | 104.0 (4.09) | 64.5 (2.54) | 67.4 (2.65) | 91.6 (3.61) | 1,194.2 (47) |
| Source: NIWA ||||||||||||||

## Notable people

* Glenn Colquhoun, poet