Māhia Peninsula (Māori: Te Māhia)[2][3] is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, in the Hawke's Bay region, between the towns of Wairoa and Gisborne.

It includes Rocket Lab's Launch Complex 1, located near Ahuriri Point at the southern tip of the Māhia Peninsula, for launching its Electron rockets.

[5] Māhia Beach, which is on the northeast coast of the peninsula, is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement.

[9] In Maori legend, Whatonga, who came to New Zealand in search of his grandfather Toi, settled at Mahia.

[10] The word māhia means "indistinct sound" or "scrofulous swelling".

Portland Island had a lighthouse, first lit in February 1878 and then replaced with a fully electrified unmanned town in 1955 .

[13][14] The peninsula community these days is still generally a mix of Maori and European.

[citation needed] Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was proposed to by her partner, Clarke Gayford, on Mokotahi Hill.

[18] Sheep and cattle farms are an important part for the local community, but tourism is now the peninsula's main industry.

Mahia's population swells greatly during the warmer months and in particular during school holidays.

Mahia is well known for its surf, scuba diving, hiking, and fishing.