Tokomaru Bay is a bay and town located in the remote East Cape (Gisborne) region of New Zealand’s North Island, 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Gisborne city and close to Mount Hikurangi.

The seven-kilometre wide bay is small but sheltered, and was a calling place for passenger ships until the early 20th century. Captain Cook spent time here on his 1769 journey of discovery, and later Eurpoean settlement included a whaling station.

The area around the bay has long been a Maori stronghold. The nearby pa at Te Mawhai was refortified during the battles between colonials and Maori in the 1860s.

The town's modern prosperity derives mainly from agriculture and forestry, with some tourism. Its population is predominantly Maori, with the area being a stronghold of the Ngati Porou iwi. The bay's name is taken from that of a traditional waka (canoe).

NB: Tokomaru Bay should not be confused with Tokomaru, a township near Palmerston North in the southern North Island.

External links

• Photo and description
• Ngati_Porou in their own language