The Place...
Taking its name from the mountain under which it is nestled, the township of Te Aroha boasts a cultural heritage which is both rich and diverse.
From time immemorial the ‘Aroha’ estate on which the town was established, was the traditional domain of the Tumutumu people of Hauraki (The Ngati Tumutumu) and formed the traditional southern boundary of the Hauraki tribal lands.
Renowned for its natural resources of rivers, wetlands and forests, perhaps the greatest gift of the ‘Aroha’ however has been its thermal waters around which, from the 1880’s, a spa town was developed.
While the Te Aroha Domain, the site of the thermal activity, still retains its 19th century feel, this belies its long and celebrated past as a cherished place of healing for the Maori people.
Today the 44ha. Domain still attracts people to its spas, gardens and walks as well as the world’s only hot 'soda water' geyser ‘Mokena,’ commemorating the original ‘kaitiaki’ or guardian of the Domain’s hot springs, Chief Mokena.
Beyond the Domain extends the Kaimai -Mamaku Forest Park with its network of walking tracks and sites offering a variety of places to visit with Te Aroha Mountain (952m) the jewel in its crown, offering extensive panoramic views of the upper and central North Island.
Besides its role as a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and tourists, the township of Te Aroha serves as the centre for an extensive farming district and seat of local government.