Location
~ Tūwāhi

Ōhiwa Harbour is a large shallow estuary situated 11 kilometres east of Whakatāne and 16 kilometres west of Ōpōtiki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.

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Two sandspits shelter the harbour from Te Moana a Toi, the Pacific Ocean: The Ōhope Spit, a six kilometre long sand spit on the western side of the harbour entrance, and the much smaller Ōhiwa Spit of approximately 900 m to the east.

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The harbour itself covers an area of about 26 square kilometers, and is relatively shallow, exposing 80 percent of its bed at low tide. The main channels provide sufficient depth for fishing and boats.

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There are ten small islands in the harbour but only one, Ohākana Island, has permanent residents living on small lifestyle blocks. The other main islands are Whangakopikopiko / Tern Island, Pātaua Island, Uretara Island, Motuotu Island and Hokianga Island. All of them are different status reserves. The four remaining islands cover less than one hectare each and their names are not widely known.

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The urban Port Ōhope on the Ōhope Spit, the small village of Kutarere in the southeast and the original Ōhiwa settlement in the east are the main populated areas at Ōhiwa Harbour. The Wainui community spreads along Wainui Road that connects Ōhope with the eastern shores of the harbour.