Tà «rangi is a small town on the west bank of the Tongariro River, 50 kilometres south-west of Taupà  on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand. It was built to accommodate the workers associated with the Tongariro hydro-electric power development project and their families. The town was designed to remain as a small servicing centre for the exotic forest plantations south of Lake Taupà  and for tourists. It is well known for its trout fishing and calls itself "the trout fishing capital of the world". The major MÃÂori hapà « (tribe) of the Tà «rangi area is NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua.
The Tà «rangi area covers some 2273 kmò, and is located close to the edge of the Kaimanawa Ranges and ten kilometres north of the stretch of State Highway 1 known as the Desert Road.
The streets around Tà «rangi in autumn are lined with "brilliant" foliage.
Built on the banks of the Tongariro River, Tà «rangi and its surrounding countryside offers challenging hunting, fishing, mountain biking, hiking or leisurely bush walks, white water rafting, kayaking and sight seeing.
Stats NZ describes Tà «rangi as a small urban area, which covers . It had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km<sup>2</sup>. It is the second largest population centre in the Taupà  District after Taupà Â. Tà «rangi's population peaked at 9,000 during the 1970s. After the end of the Project in the 1980s the population declined but has since remained stable due to the town's handy location for tourists.
Tà «rangi had a population of 3,792 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 348 people (10.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 840 people (28.5%) since the 2013 census. There were 1,860 males, 1,920 females, and 6 people of other genders in 1,461 dwellings. 2.2% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 39.4 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 774 people (20.4%) aged under 15 years, 708 (18.7%) aged 15 to 29, 1,557 (41.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 750 (19.8%) aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 51.4% European (PÃÂkehÃÂ); 64.2% MÃÂori; 5.8% Pasifika; 4.1% Asian; 0.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.4%, MÃÂori by 22.8%, Samoan by 0.3%, and other languages by 5.1%. No language could be spoken by 1.8% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.9%. The percentage of people born overseas was 12.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 25.6% Christian, 0.3% Hindu, 15.5% MÃÂori religious beliefs, 0.6% Buddhist, 0.5% New Age, and 0.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 49.4%, and 7.8% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 357 (11.8%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 1,779 (58.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 885 (29.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $30,300, compared with $41,500 nationally. 111 people (3.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 1,290 (42.7%) full-time, 369 (12.2%) part-time, and 135 (4.5%) unemployed.
Tourism and forestry are the mainstay of the community with the Department of Corrections two prisons, Genesis Energy, the Department of Conservation and farming being the main employers. The town is also home to a Centre for Sustainable Practice at Awhi Farm, providing education and enterprise training.
The area was settled by the people of NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa, descendants of those who had originally settled in the Kawerau area. The NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa invasion of Taupà  occurred from about the 16th century with a war party under command of Tà «rangitukua who engaged in a number of battles against earlier inhabitants of the Taupà Â, Rotoaira and Kaimanawa area. Following these battles a variety of settlements were established in the area with major pa established on the cliff overlooking the Tongariro River and at Waitahanui on the Tongariro Delta. Another important settlement was at Tokaanu.
The people who eventually become known as NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua associate mainly with Waitahanui pÃÂ. From here they established a number of homesteads along both sides of the Tongariro River and its tributaries, including houses along the main Highway to Taumarunui (now Hirangi Road). In 1910 construction of a wharepuni begun which eventually became the Hirangi Marae complex.
The first Europeans reached the Tà «rangi area in the 1830s, however it was not until the 1850s that European settlement occurred with the construction of a Mission Station at Pukawa.
In the 1880s and 1890s brown and rainbow trout were introduced into the lake and rivers of the area. A small fishing camp was established at Taupahi on the Tongariro River bank (now Taupahi Road). European settlers used the camp for recreational fishing.
In the 1920s two prison farms were opened at Rangipo and Hautu because of the isolated nature of the area. Also during this period the Morar family arrived from India, settling and establishing a store in Tokaanu.
By 1960, the population was about 500.
In the 1950s, in response to post World War II needs for rapid expansion of energy resources to meet the growing industrialisation in New Zealand, the Tongariro Power Scheme proposal was developed. The scheme would require a large construction force, and provide accommodation for that force for the duration of the project.
Four sites were considered for the township to accommodate the project workers: Rotoaira, Rangipo, Tà «rangi West, and Tà «rangi East. The tourism potential of Lake Taupà  was appreciated, as well as the economic benefits that could be captured by creating a permanent township. Taking into account accessibility, climate, and adequacy of suitable land for development of a township, it was decided proceed with the Turangi West site.
Construction of the modern town began late in 1964. The Government invested $16 million in the development and by May 1966, the population of Tà «rangi had jumped from 500 to 2,500 people. By 1968 the population reached a high of 6,500. A model town with curving streets and cul-de-sacs, uniform houses, pedestrian shopping centre, car parks and separation from the traffic on the main highway was created.
Between 1967 and 1982 several hundred Italian hard-rock tunnellers came to Tà «rangi to work on the Ministry of Works's Tongariro Power Development project, building tunnels and an underground power station. The men were contracted by Italian company Codelfa-Cogefar, which supplied accommodation in six camps near the works, medical services, a priest and Italian food and wine for the workers. Many of these men were from around Treviso in northern Italy where the company was based. Italian traditions such as a mass for Santa Barbara, patron saint of tunnellers and miners, were also acknowledged. When the project was completed some of the workers returned to Italy but others stayed in New Zealand. In 2017 a 50-year reunion for Codelfa-Cogefar employees was held in Turangi.
A publicity pamphlet published by the Ministry of Works in 1969 described Tà «rangi at that time as a pleasant and attractive town of 5000 people which offered a âÂÂbalanced community lifeâÂÂ. The pamphlet enumerated the town's amenities, shops, and services, such as its mall, schools, sports facilities, library, maternity hospital, parks, and, not least, its wide, grassy verges and kerbing.
Following the completion of the project in the late 1970s, the Ministry of Works and other government departments began a process of selling assets within the Turangi township.
In 1989 NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua registered with the Waitangi Tribunal (Wai 84). The claim was heard under urgency between April and October 1994, and the Tribunal's Report was released in September 1995.
The Tribunal found that the Crown had breached the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in a number of ways:
In July 1998, the Crown and NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua negotiated to achieve a full and final settlement of NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua's Treaty claims and to remove the continuing sense of grievance.
The Crown and NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua entered into a deed of settlement on 26 September 1998, resulting in a full and final settlement of NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua's Treaty claims relating to the development and construction of the Tà «rangi Township and its after effects.
In 1999 the NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua Claims Settlement Act 1999 was passed to:
The local Hërangi Marae and Tà «wharetoa i te Aupà Âuri meeting house, located in the Tà «rangi township, is a meeting place NgÃÂti Tà «rangitukua and NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa.
Rongomai Marae and meeting house, located east of the township, is a meeting place of the NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa hapà « of NgÃÂti Rongomai.
KorohàMarae Rereao meeting house, located further east, is a meeting place of the NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa hapà « of NgÃÂti Hine. In October 2020, the Government committed $1,338,668 from the Provincial Growth Fund to upgrade the marae and 4 other NgÃÂti Tà «wharetoa marae, creating 19 jobs.
Tà «rangi is located in the administrative areas of the Taupà  District Council and three of the council's eleven representatives are elected directly from a Tà «rangi Tongariro ward. Tà «rangi is administered by the Turangi/Tongariro Community Board under delegated powers from the Taupà  District Council. This ensures that all locally important decisions are made by local residents.
The role of the Tà «rangi Tongariro Community Boards is to:
The Taupà  District is itself part of the Waikato region, controlled administratively by the Environment Waikato.
Tà «rangi is part of the Taupà  electorate in New Zealand's general elections. The electorate is currently represented in the New Zealand Parliament by Louise Upston (National).
There are three schools in the Tà «rangi area. Within the Tà «rangi township are two schools, both area schools which cater for Year 1 to 13 students. The schools opened in February 2004, following the Tà «rangi Education Network Review that resulted in the closure of four schools: Hirangi Primary, Turangi Primary, Tongariro High and Tauranga-Taupo Primary Schools were closed. Previously Pihanga Primary existed, but was closed in the mid 1980s.
A single Year 1âÂÂ15 composite state area school, Tongariro School, was established in their place. with a roll of as of
A Kura Kaupapa MÃÂori for Year 1âÂÂ13 students, Te Kura o Hirangi, was established for those who wish to receive their education in te reo MÃÂori. with a roll of .
There is also a rural school at Kuratau, approximately 30 km west of Tà «rangi on SH 41 to Taumarunui.
According to the Taupà  District Council, Tà «rangi is a sister city of Kitashiobara, Japan.