Our Land and Sea
When Captain James Cook, in 1769, sailed into a large bay on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island he aptly named it the “Bay of Plenty” because of its rich natural resources.
The Bay of Plenty dominates the landscape of Maketu with beautiful beaches, rich fishing grounds, and an abundance of recreational opportunities.
The Maketu Peninsula is bounded on each side by estuaries and wetlands. These are home for many birdlife species, including the endangered New Zealand Dotterel.
Surrounding the village are rich agricultural lands primarily devoted to dairy farming and kiwifruit orchards.
A popular destination for ocean fishing, snapper, kahawai, tarakihi, and gurnard abound. Shellfish are also abundant, mussels, pippi, and paua.
And, of course, beautiful crayfish
The Kaituna River, which empties Lake Rotorua and surrounding lakes, flows into the sea at Maketu. It is a popular whitebait fishing ground as well as a nearby whitewater rafting adventure.
