Last updated October 2026
Matapihi is a peninsula suburb of Tauranga on the southern side of Tauranga Harbour, framed by Waipu Bay and Rangataua Bay. It sits between Maungatapu to the southwest and the Mount Maunganui side to the northeast, linked by the Maungatapu Bridge and a land bridge toward Arataki.
State Highway 29A runs diagonally through the suburb. The area has a strong Māori community identity, with marae of Ngāi Te Rangi hapū and a long-established kura. Visitors and residents find a quieter, more rural harbour setting close to the city’s eastern centres.
Official Locality Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 840, up 15% since 2018
- Land area
- 3.32 km²
- Location
- 3.0 km east of central Tauranga
- Council
- Tauranga City Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Mount Maunganui, Maungatapu
- Ward or local board
- Mauao/Mount Maunganui General Ward (Tauranga City Council)
- Getting there
- State Highway 29A through the peninsula; Maungatapu Bridge from Maungatapu; land connection toward Mount Maunganui and Arataki. Local bus routes serve Matapihi Road.
- Main shopping
- Bayfair Shopping Centre in neighbouring Arataki (short drive or bus)
- Schools
- Te Kura o Matapihi (Māori-medium immersion school)
- Nearby landmarks
- Maungatapu Bridge; Matapihi railway bridge toward central Tauranga; Hungahungatoroa (Whakahinga) Marae; Waikari Marae; Tauranga Harbour shoreline
Who Lives in Matapihi
About 840 residents in 210 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
About Matapihi
Matapihi is a harbour peninsula suburb in eastern Tauranga, largely surrounded by the waters of Tauranga Harbour. The shoreline includes coastal cliffs and lower estuarine edges with mangroves and salt marsh in places. The setting feels more open and rural than denser parts of the city while remaining only a short distance from Mount Maunganui and central Tauranga.
The suburb is home to hapū of Ngāi Te Rangi. Hungahungatoroa (also known as Whakahinga) Marae with the meeting house Tāpuiti is associated with Ngāi Tukairangi.
Waikari Marae with the meeting house Tapukino is associated with Ngāti Tapu. Nearby Whareroa Marae is also closely linked to the wider Matapihi and Mount Maunganui community. These marae anchor local identity, language and community life.
Te Kura o Matapihi provides total immersion education in te reo Māori. The kura serves tamariki with strong connections to the local marae and hapū, and it sits on Matapihi Road. The school’s pepeha references Mauao, the Mataatua waka, Tauranga moana, and the hapū Ngāi Tukairangi, Ngāti Kuku and Ngāti Tapu.
Daily life here is shaped by the harbour, the highway corridor and a close-knit residential character. Many residents value the sense of community and the green, open feel of the peninsula. Practical services and larger retail are reached easily via SH29A toward Bayfair, Mount Maunganui or the city centre.
History and Heritage
Matapihi has long been part of the wider Tauranga Moana landscape occupied by Māori. Hapū of Ngāi Te Rangi maintain continuous connections through the marae on and near the peninsula. Historical records also note nineteenth-century settlement and land matters at places such as Ohuki in the north-eastern part of Matapihi.
European-era infrastructure later cut across the peninsula. The East Coast Main Trunk railway reached the area in the early 1920s. Matapihi railway station operated as a flag station from 1924 until 1969.
The Matapihi railway bridge still forms a distinctive harbour crossing toward central Tauranga. The Maungatapu Bridge later provided the main road link between the Maungatapu and Matapihi peninsulas, carrying SH29A and greatly improving road access between Tauranga and the Mount Maunganui side.
Te Kura o Matapihi opened in 1913 and has continued as a centre of Māori-medium education for the local hapori. Together the marae, kura, harbour edges and transport corridors tell the story of a place that remains strongly Māori while sitting inside the modern city.
Getting Around
State Highway 29A is the main spine through Matapihi, connecting Maungatapu Bridge in the southwest with the land bridge and routes toward Arataki and Mount Maunganui in the northeast.
Matapihi Road serves local properties and the kura. Baybus services operate in the wider eastern Tauranga network and include stops associated with Matapihi Road, linking residents to Bayfair, Mount Maunganui and other parts of the city.
The railway line still crosses the harbour on the Matapihi railway bridge, though the former passenger station is long closed. For most people, car, bus or cycle connections via the highway and local roads are the practical everyday options. The peninsula layout means journeys are relatively direct once you are on SH29A.
Getting Outdoors
Matapihi’s defining outdoor feature is the harbour shoreline itself. The peninsula faces Waipu Bay and Rangataua Bay, with a mix of cliffs, lower banks and estuarine margins. These edges offer views across the water and a sense of space that is less common in more built-up suburbs. Local esplanade and roadside areas provide informal access to the coast in places.
The suburb sits close to larger recreation destinations without needing to travel far: the beaches and base of Mauao at Mount Maunganui, and the wider network of harbour and coastal reserves around eastern Tauranga.
Within Matapihi the emphasis is quieter harbour outlooks and community open space rather than large formal parks. Always respect private land, marae areas and any local access guidance.
Near Matapihi
Just outside Matapihi, within 5 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Toi Tauranga Art GalleryTauranga City LibrariesTauranga Bond StoreBrain-Watkins House MuseumMemorial ParkBusinesses
Where to Learn More
Wikipedia: Matapihi: Overview of location, ward, marae, school and railway history with cited sources.
Te Kura o Matapihi: Official school site with pepeha, hapū and marae connections, and contact details.
Tauranga City Council: Local authority information on wards, services, harbour and community matters for Matapihi and eastern Tauranga.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Matapihi in Tauranga?
Matapihi is a peninsula suburb on Tauranga Harbour in eastern Tauranga, between Maungatapu and the Mount Maunganui / Arataki side, with State Highway 29A running through it.
Which council ward covers Matapihi?
Matapihi is in the Mauao/Mount Maunganui General Ward of Tauranga City Council.
How do you get to Matapihi?
Drive via State Highway 29A and the Maungatapu Bridge, or approach from the Mount Maunganui and Arataki side across the land connection. Local buses also serve Matapihi Road.
What schools are in Matapihi?
Te Kura o Matapihi is the local school. It is a Māori-medium immersion kura on Matapihi Road.
Are there marae in Matapihi?
Yes. Hungahungatoroa (Whakahinga) Marae and Waikari Marae are in Matapihi and are associated with Ngāi Te Rangi hapū. Whareroa Marae is closely linked nearby.
Where do people shop from Matapihi?
There is no large retail centre inside the suburb itself. Most people use Bayfair Shopping Centre in neighbouring Arataki, along with other Mount Maunganui and city options.
Is Matapihi good for harbour views and outdoor time?
Yes. The peninsula is surrounded by Tauranga Harbour, with shoreline along Waipu Bay and Rangataua Bay. It suits quieter harbour outlooks and is close to Mount Maunganui beaches and reserves.
What is the character of Matapihi like?
It is a smaller, more open peninsula suburb with a strong Māori community presence, marae and kura, harbour edges, and easy road links to Mount Maunganui and the rest of Tauranga.
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Explore Tauranga only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Matapihi is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.