Orapiu

Te Matuku Bay was used for food gathering and a place for waka to land by Māori living on Waiheke. It also was the site of the first pākehā settlement on Waiheke. There was a school.^[8]

The wharf was built in 1915.^[9][10] Orapiu was subdivided in 1916, although there were previously boarding houses there.^[11]

Orapiu Road Board was formed in 1921, and merged with the Ostend Road Board in 1947.^[11] It may have been the smallest local authority in New Zealand, controlling an area of 35 hectares (86 acres).^[12]

Statistics New Zealand describes Orapiu as a rural settlement, which covers 0.41 km² (0.16 sq mi)^[1] and had an estimated population of 70 as of June 2025,^[2] with a population density of 171 people per km². Orapiu is part of the larger Waiheke East statistical area.^[13]

Orapiu had a population of 66 in the 2023 New Zealand census, a decrease of 6 people (−8.3%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 18 people (37.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 39 males and 30 females in 42 dwellings.^[15] The median age was 57.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 9 people (13.6%) aged under 15 years, 3 (4.5%) aged 15 to 29, 36 (54.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 18 (27.3%) aged 65 or older.^[14]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 100.0% European (Pākehā), 18.2% Māori, and 4.5% Pasifika. English was spoken by 100.0%, Māori language by 4.5%, and other languages by 18.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 31.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.^[14]

The only given religious affiliation was 36.4% Christian. People who answered that they had no religion were 54.5%, and 9.1% of people did not answer the census question.^[14]

Of those at least 15 years old, 18 (31.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 30 (52.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 6 (10.5%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 9 people (15.8%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 24 (42.1%) people were employed full-time, 9 (15.8%) were part-time, and 3 (5.3%) were unemployed.^[14]