Ruatoria

Ruatoria, also written as Ruatōria, is a town in the Waiapu Valley of the Gisborne Region in the northeastern corner of New Zealand's North Island. The town was originally known as Cross Roads, and was named Ruatōrea in 1913, from the Māori Rua-a-Tōrea (the storage pit of Tōrea). In 1925 the name was altered to the current spelling, although some texts retain the original spelling.As of the 2013 census, it was the third largest centre of population in the sparsely populated region, yet had a population of only 750 (18 less than the region's second largest town, Tolaga Bay). This was a decrease of less than 1% (6 people) since the 2006 census. It is the centre of population and largest town in the Waiapu Valley. 94.8% of the population is Māori, and 46% of the population is able to speak te reo Māori — both significantly higher than regional or national averages.GeographyAs the crow flies, Ruatoria is approximately 90km north-northeast of Gisborne, and 30km southwest of the East Cape Lighthouse. By road it is 128km from Gisborne, 3km off State Highway 35. It is at the bottom of the Waiapu Valley on the banks of the Waiapu River just downstream of where the river is formed by the joining of the Mata and Tapuaeroa Rivers.