Pōrangahau is a small township close to the Pacific Ocean coast in the south-east of the North Island of New Zealand.
It lies in the southernmost part of Hawke's Bay, 45 kilometres south of Waipukurau, and close to the mouth of the Pōrangahau River.
The Māori name Pōrangahau expresses the idea of a night (pō) of pursuit or of retreat (rangahau).
[3] Six kilometres southwest of the township stands an insubstantial hill, with the longest place name in the world: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.
[4][5] The area west of the main township, known as Mangaorapa, was used for sheep farming during the 20th century.
[7] The 2370 hectare Mangaorapa Station was the most expensive farm in Central Hawke's Bay when it was sold in 2005.
[8] Statistics New Zealand describes Pōrangahau as a rural settlement, which covers 0.43 km2 (0.17 sq mi)[1] and had an estimated population of 160 as of June 2024,[2] with a population density of 372 people per km2.
Before the 2023 census, Taurekaitai had a larger boundary, covering 1,153.82 km2 (445.49 sq mi).