Te Puke

Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit. Te Puke has a population of 7496 as of the 2013 Census.LocationTe Puke is in close proximity to Tauranga, Mount Maunganui, Papamoa, and Maketu, which are all coastal towns/cities, as well as the small townships of Waitangi, Manoeka, Pongakawa and Paengaroa.The town's name means The Hill, and should be pronounced "teh-pook-eh", not the occasional "Te-Pyook". This name is reflective of its location, as it is on a hill near the Papamoa Hills.The Tauranga Eastern Link, completed in 2015, moved State Highway 2 away from Te Puke and removed large volumes of traffic from its streets.EconomyAgriculture is the backbone of the district's economy. The warm, moist climate and fertile soils are favourable for horticulture, with production of kiwifruit, avocados and citrus fruit such as lemons and oranges. The town markets itself as the "Kiwifruit capital of the world". Dairy cattle and other livestock are also farmed.