Waitati

Waitati, known in Māori as Waitete, is a small seaside settlement in Otago, New Zealand, within the city limits of Dunedin. It is located close to the tidal mudflats of Blueskin Bay, 19 kilometres north of the Dunedin city centre. The small Waitati River flows through the bay to the sea.The Dunedin-Waitati Highway section of State Highway 1, formerly and colloquially called Dunedin Northern Motorway, ends at Waitati; the highway continues north from here at a slightly lower grade of construction with more frequent intersections and accesses. Three km to the north, the highway ascends the notorious Kilmog hill. The Main South Line railway curves from east to north through Waitati. The old station yard remains as a train crossing loop and parts of the old station building are used by rail maintenance workers.Waitati is home to a branch of the Dunedin Public Libraries, Blueskin Nurseries, a local school, a cafe and general store, and several holiday homes.Alternative lifestylers and activismFor many years Waitati has been known for its appeal to those who pursue an alternative lifestyle. The Waitati Militia, a pacifist warfare group, was founded here, and the village featured in the history of the Values Party, Mushroom magazine and anti Vietnam war and Aramoana aluminium smelter protests, as well as the development in New Zealand of environmental education.