Otorohanga
| Otorohanga | |
|---|---|
 Otorohanga
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| Coordinates: 38°11′S 175°12′E / 38.183°S 175.2°ECoordinates: 38°11′S 175°12′E / 38.183°S 175.2°E | |
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Region | King Country |
| Territorial authority | Otorohanga District |
| Ward | Otorohanga |
| Electorate | Waikato |
| Government | |
| • MP | Shane Ardern (National) |
| • Mayor | Dale Williams |
| Population | |
| • Urban | 2,592 |
| Time zone | NZST (UTC+12) |
| • Summer (DST) | NZDT (UTC+13) |
| Postcode | 3900 |
| Area code(s) | 07 |
Otorohanga is a north King Country town at the southern end of the Waikato region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 53 kilometres south of Hamilton and 18 kilometres north of Te Kuiti, on the Waipa River. It is a service town for the surrounding dairy farming district, and is recognized as the "gateway" to the Waitomo Caves and as the "Kiwiana Town" of New Zealand, and up until 2007 held a yearly 'Kiwiana Festival.' [1]
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[edit] District Council
Otorohanga is part of, and the seat of, the Otorohanga District Council. The council has a population of 9,075, with Otorohanga being the main centre. Other places in the district include Te Kawa and Kawhia.[2] The district has a land area of 2,063.44 km² (796.70 sq mi). Otorohanga is the gateway to the Waitomo Caves, which is located 15 minutes away. The Otorohanga District was declared in 1979.
Otorohanga is internationally renowned for its local Kiwi House.[3] The Kiwi House was the first place in the world where the general public could view a kiwi in captivity.[4] Its visitor numbers have remained constant throughout the years, recording an average of 5,000 per month over 2007-2008.[5] Although Otorohanga is internationally renowned for its Kiwi House, it also has a public library, a swimming complex, a Woolworths Supermarket and a 24 hour McDonalds.
[edit] Harrodsville
In 1986, the town briefly changed its name to "Harrodsville". This was in protest to a restaurateur, Henry Harrod, who was being forced to change the name of his restaurant following threatening lawsuits from Mohammed Al Fayed, the owner of Harrod's department store in London.[6][7]
As a show of solidarity for Henry Harrod of Palmerston North and in anticipation of actions against other similar sounding businesses, it was proposed that every business in Otorohanga should change their names to "Harrods". With support of the District Council, Otorohanga "officially" changed the town's name to "Harrodsville". After being lampooned in the British tabloid newspapers, Al Fayed dropped the legal action and "Harrodsville" and its shops reverted to their former names.
The "send up" raised widespread media interest around the world, with The BBC World Service and newspapers in Greece, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Canada giving illustrated coverage.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.kiwianatown.co.nz/
- ^ Quickstats about Otorohanga
- ^ http://www.kiwihouse.org.nz/
- ^ http://www.kiwihouse.org.nz/history.html
- ^ http://www.kiwihouse.org.nz/pdf/KiwiHouseReview-No42-2008.pdf
- ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2007/11/06/DI2007110602265_pf.html
- ^ http://www.itnsource.com/jp/shotlist//RTV/1986/06/16/BGY602020176/?s=south+bank+show
[edit] External links
- The district council's site
- The Otorohanga Community site
- Long Term Council Community Plan 2006-2016
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