A small part of the district, the locality of Tiroa, however, lies in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.

The District covers the west coast from Te Maika, on Kawhia Harbour, to the north of Taharoa, to Mokau in the south and extends inland to Maniaiti / Benneydale and Mount Pureora.

The current district mayor is John Robertson, who defeated incumbent Brian Hanna in the 2019 New Zealand local elections.

The area's main industries include sheep farming, forestry, and limestone quarrying.

The area is known for the popular Waitomo Caves, a karstic system with stalactites, stalagmites and glowworms 12 kilometres northwest of Te Kūiti.

Te Anga Road, a winding road from State Highway 3 in the Marokopa River area, leads past the Waitomo Caves, Mangapohue Natural Bridge, Piripiri Caves, and Marokopa Falls.