Oropi
Oropi is a rural settlement located in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 20 kilometres south of Tauranga and 43 kilometres north of Rotorua. It has been suggested that the word Oropi is the Māori language equivalent of Europe. This is derived from the 1860s when government forces were based in the area at the time of the Battle of Gate Pā.
Oropi | |
|---|---|
Otanewainuku Reserve | |
| Coordinates: 37.839°S 176.158°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Bay of Plenty |
| Territorial authority | Western Bay of Plenty |
| Ward | Kaimai |
| Electorates | |
| Government | |
| • Territorial authority | Western Bay of Plenty District Council |
| • Regional council | Bay of Plenty Regional Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4.33 km2 (1.67 sq mi) |
| Population (2018 Census) | |
| • Total | 225 |
| • Density | 52/km2 (130/sq mi) |
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of covering up" for Ōropi.
Oropi is mainly a farming community of both agriculture and horticulture ranging from kiwifruit orchards to dairy farms. Recently there has been some subdivision of farms into lifestyle blocks to take advantage of views of the coastline towards the Coromandel Peninsula and islands in the Bay of Plenty including Karewa Island, Mayor Island (Tuhua) and Mōtītī Island.
Local facilities include a 9-hole golf course, hot pools, a paintball course and mountain bike tracks. The Oropi Memorial Hall and Community Centre includes a 170 square metre auditorium. The nearby Otanewainuku Forest, managed by the Department of Conservation, includes three short public walks.
A sink hole developed on Oropi Road in August 2019, caused by erosion from a stream. The sinkhole was fixed in January 2020.