Ōkato


Ōkato is a small town in rural Taranaki, New Zealand. It is situated about 25 minutes drive around the coast from New Plymouth on State Highway 45. Ōakura is 12 km to the north-east, and Warea is 9 km to the south-west. The place offers popular rocky surfing spots around coastal beaches. The town was established as a military settlement in the 1860s.
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "place of Kato" for Ōkato. While "Kato" was probably a personal name, an alternative translation is "place of full tide/tsunami". In July 2020, the name of the locality was officially gazetted as Ōkato by the New Zealand Geographic Board.
Ōkato has all the elements of a New Zealand rural community with sporting facilities, Coastal Taranaki School, a police station, and a volunteer fire brigade.
Ōkato was also notable as the home of Okato Cheese which was manufactured by the Okato Co-operative Dairy Company. This manufacturing site closed some years after merging with Egmont Co-operative Dairy. Activities in the Ōkato area include the Stony River walkway, which has a number of locations for photographing Mt Taranaki.
The rural community of Puniho is located just south of Ōkato.

Demographics

Ōkato is described by Stats NZ as a rural settlement which covers. It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Ōkato is part of the larger Kaitake statistical area.
Ōkato had a population of 711 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 105 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 150 people since the 2013 census. There were 342 males, 366 females, and 3 people of other genders in 258 dwellings. 3.0% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 35.2 years. There were 192 people aged under 15 years, 99 aged 15 to 29, 333 aged 30 to 64, and 87 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 87.8% European ; 24.1% Māori; 1.3% Pasifika; 1.3% Asian; 0.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 3.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.2%, Māori by 5.9%, and other languages by 4.2%. No language could be spoken by 3.0%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 17.7, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 19.0% Christian, 1.3% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% New Age, and 0.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 67.5%, and 11.0% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 123 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 282 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 117 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 30 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 246 full-time, 87 part-time, and 21 unemployed.

Kaitake statistical area

Kaitake statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2.
Kaitake had a population of 2,232 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 300 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 600 people since the 2013 census. There were 1,086 males, 1,143 females, and 3 people of other genders in 780 dwellings. 2.3% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.1 years. There were 540 people aged under 15 years, 285 aged 15 to 29, 1,086 aged 30 to 64, and 318 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 93.1% European ; 15.3% Māori; 1.1% Pasifika; 1.5% Asian; 1.1% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders ; and 3.5% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 97.3%, Māori by 4.2%, Samoan by 0.1%, and other languages by 5.6%. No language could be spoken by 2.4%. New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 16.5, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 24.3% Christian, 0.3% Hindu, 0.7% Māori religious beliefs, 0.1% Buddhist, 0.7% New Age, 0.1% Jewish, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 63.7%, and 9.3% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 435 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 948 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 309 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $40,000, compared with $41,500 nationally. 198 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 831 full-time, 351 part-time, and 39 unemployed.

Education

Coastal Taranaki School is a coeducational composite school with a roll of as of The school was formed in 2005 from the merger of Newall School, Okato Primary School, Okato College and Warea School. It was initially called Okato Area School but changed its name.

Notable people

New Zealand wars

  • The diaries of the local farmer Alexander Cassie are held at Access to them is restricted, but they contain the reminiscences of veterans of the New Zealand Wars and the Parihaka incident. See

People

  • The diaries of the local farmer Alexander Cassie are held at Access to them is restricted, but they contain childhood reminiscences and incidents from the 1910s. See
  • The papers of the local historian and farmer Marc Voullaire are held at. This collection contains research carried out on the Taranaki dairy industry, the missionary station of Johann Riemenschneider, and can be seen at