Waipiro Bay is a small coastal settlement in the Gisborne District on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

It was named Waipiro by Chief Paoa, which translates literally to "putrid water", referring to the area's sulfuric properties.

[1][2] The town's size greatly diminished after a road was built bypassing the bay in the late 1920s, and as of 2011, there were only about 96 people (20 families) still living there.

[1][2] During a predetermined season, the Gisborne District Council permits freedom camping in certain areas of the bay, which boasts good surfing, fishing and diving.

[2] There is no harbour at Waipiro Bay, so goods and passengers had to be "surfed" between the shore and waiting ships on surfboats, lighters or rafts.

[6] Eventually, the main highway north ran through Waipiro Bay, which made it a vital link between Gisborne and the rest of the East Coast.

She remembers a thriving town, with a blacksmith, a cinema, a police station, a billiards bar, a hotel, a library, a bakery, a post office, two shops, and the Waipiro Trading Company.