Last updated October 2026
Muriwai is a small rural settlement at the southern end of Poverty Bay, in the Gisborne District. It sits just west of the headland Te Kurī o Pāoa, better known as Young Nick’s Head, and State Highway 2 runs through on the way from Gisborne toward Wairoa. This is Ngāi Tāmanuhiri country.
Two marae anchor community life, and the name Te Muriwai Mai Tawhiti recalls a woman left behind in Hawaiki by the crew of the waka Horouta.
Most houses stand on local roads off the highway rather than in a compact township, and the local primary school sits on State Highway 2. It is a quiet coastal farming settlement, not a beach resort, and it is not the west-coast surf beach of the same name near Auckland.
Official Locality Facts
- Population (2023 Census)
- About 240, up 22% since 2018
- Land area
- 114.40 km²
- Location
- 15.1 km south-west of central Gisborne
- Council
- Gisborne District Council
- Neighbouring suburbs
- Waingake, Manutūkē, Bartletts, Waerengaokurī
- Ward or local board
- Tairāwhiti General Ward. Voters on the Māori electoral roll are in the Tairāwhiti Māori Ward. Gisborne District has no local board for this settlement.
- Getting there
- State Highway 2 between Gisborne and Wairoa passes through Muriwai. Most houses are on local roads beside the highway. No scheduled town bus was confirmed. The railway passes through, but regular trains do not run; Gisborne District Council notes occasional steam excursions between Gisborne and Muriwai.
- Schools
- Muriwai School, a co-educational state primary school for Years 1 to 8, on State Highway 2. Education listings describe it as a Māori-language school.
- Nearby landmarks
- Te Kurī o Pāoa (Young Nick’s Head); Muriwai Marae and the meeting house Te Poho o Tāmanuhiri; Waiari Marae; the old railway station site.
Who Lives in Muriwai
About 240 residents in 70 households. From the 2023 Census, with the New Zealand figure alongside for comparison.
In Muriwai
Places and businesses inside the official Muriwai boundary.
Places
About Muriwai
Muriwai is a settlement and rural community on the flats at the southern end of Poverty Bay. Gisborne District Council places it just west of Te Kurī o Pāoa (Young Nick’s Head), the cliffed headland that closes the bay.
State Highway 2 is the spine of the place, but the council notes that most houses sit on local roads adjacent to the highway rather than strung along the main road itself. The landscape is coastal farmland, with the headland as the defining view, not a developed visitor precinct.
The people of this coast are Ngāi Tāmanuhiri. The iwi takes its name from Tāmanuhiri, a descendant of Paikea and Tahu-Pōtiki, and its rohe is described as running along the coast from Koputūtea in the north to Paritū in the south.
Ngāi Tāmanuhiri records that Te Muriwai Mai Tawhiti was named by the crew of Horouta in remembrance of Te Muriwai, who was left in Hawaiki. The settlement is also recorded in older sources as Te Muriwai o Whata. The name here belongs to that voyaging story, not to the Auckland beach that shares the word Muriwai.
Two marae serve the hapū Ngāi Tawehi, Ngāti Kahutia, Ngāti Rangitauwhiwhia, Ngāti Rangiwaho and Ngāti Rangiwahomatua. Muriwai Marae has the meeting house Te Poho o Tāmanuhiri.
Waiari Marae takes its name from underground waters: the iwi explains that springs near the site run from the hills toward the ocean. These are working marae for hapū and community life. They are not drop-in tourist attractions, and visits are by arrangement.
Day to day, Muriwai is a small rural community on the highway south of Gisborne. There is a primary school, marae, and a rail corridor, but not the shops, cafes or beach facilities of a holiday town.
People living here use Gisborne for most services. Anyone considering a move should treat it as country living on a state highway, with coastal hazard and water-supply arrangements that differ from the city.
History and Heritage
The present village continues a much older settlement. Ngāi Tāmanuhiri records that Te Poho o Tāmanuhiri was moved from Rō Pā to its current site in 1916.
Rising water, the threat of typhoid, and movement of the Waipaoa River pushed the community inland from the edge of Te Wherowhero lagoon, at a place known as Pīti Tāone (Beach Town). Photographs held by Tairāwhiti Museum show the meeting house there in 1896.
Te Poho o Tāmanuhiri is a painted meeting house, with carvings on the exterior and a painted interior, a style well known in the Tūranga district from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The iwi notes that the dining room, Maungarongo, was erected in 1946 and carries carvings by Pine Taiapa, and that a World War I memorial hall was built after Waiari. At Waiari, one account says the Riki whānau built the meeting house in 1912; other accounts link the project to Pākowhai land-block funds and to land of the Riki whānau.
The Gisborne to Wairoa railway also shaped the settlement. The line passes through Muriwai, and the council records occasional steam excursions from the city, including the Chardonnay Express, using the site of the old station.
Regular passenger trains to Gisborne ended long ago. The Wairoa to Gisborne section remains mothballed, while the line between Gisborne and Muriwai is still used for those occasional steam trips.
Getting Around
State Highway 2 is the practical way in and out. It is the main road between Gisborne and Wairoa, and then on toward Hawke’s Bay.
Through Muriwai it is a rural highway, so local roads off it are where most homes are, and the primary school fronts the highway itself. There is no confirmed scheduled public bus serving the settlement. City bus services do not extend here in any timetable checked for this guide.
Rail is part of the landscape rather than a daily transport option. Do not plan a visit around a train unless an excursion is publicly advertised. For everyday travel, a private vehicle is the realistic choice. Secondary schooling, supermarkets, health services and most shops are back in Gisborne.
Coast, Water and Safety
Te Kurī o Pāoa (Young Nick’s Head) is the landmark that places Muriwai on the map: the settlement lies just west of it, at the southern end of Poverty Bay. This page is about the settlement, not a walk, swim or climb on the headland.
Public access arrangements for the headland itself were not confirmed here, so treat it as a view and a place-name, not as an open reserve.
The East Coast can be hit by tsunami. Gisborne District Council publishes inundation modelling and evacuation maps, including evacuation areas from Muriwai toward East Cape.
The council’s advice for this coast is straightforward: if an earthquake is long or strong, evacuate all zones immediately and do not wait for an official warning. Households here should know their route to higher ground before they need it.
Drinking water is also different from Gisborne city. Council materials say the district supplements supply for Muriwai, and that Muriwai has piped treated water to collection facilities.
The council’s annual reporting describes the Muriwai pipeline as mainly a bulk filling point. That is not the same as a fully reticulated tap connection to every house. Confirm the water arrangement for any particular property before relying on it.
Near Muriwai
Just outside Muriwai, within 10 km of its centre, nearest first.
Places
Where to Learn More
Ngāi Tāmanuhiri: Our Marae: iwi account of Te Muriwai and Waiari, including the Horouta naming story and the 1916 move inland.
Gisborne District Council: Our Transport Network: council description of Muriwai, its marae, school, highway and occasional steam excursions.
Gisborne District Council: tsunami inundation and evacuation maps: evacuation zones and routes for the coast, including the stretch from Muriwai toward East Cape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same Muriwai as the Auckland beach?
No. This Muriwai is a rural settlement at the southern end of Poverty Bay, in the Gisborne District. The well-known surf beach is on Auckland’s west coast.
How do I get to Muriwai?
Follow State Highway 2 south from Gisborne toward Wairoa. The highway passes through the settlement, and most houses are on local roads beside it. A private vehicle is the practical way to arrive.
Is there a shop in Muriwai?
No local shopping centre or strip was confirmed. Everyday shopping and services are in Gisborne.
Which school is in Muriwai?
Muriwai School is a co-educational state primary school for Years 1 to 8, on State Highway 2. Education listings describe it as a Māori-language school. Secondary schooling is outside the settlement.
Can I visit the marae?
Muriwai Marae and Waiari Marae are living community places for Ngāi Tāmanuhiri hapū. They are not drop-in tourist stops. Arrange any visit through the marae. Ngāi Tāmanuhiri publishes booking contacts on its marae page.
What does the name mean here?
Ngāi Tāmanuhiri records that Te Muriwai Mai Tawhiti was named by the crew of the waka Horouta, in remembrance of Te Muriwai, who was left behind in Hawaiki. Older records also use Te Muriwai o Whata. Do not apply the Auckland beach translation to this settlement.
Does the train still stop at Muriwai?
Regular passenger and freight trains do not run. Gisborne District Council notes that the line between Gisborne and Muriwai is used for occasional steam excursions, including trips associated with the Chardonnay Express, while the Wairoa to Gisborne section remains mothballed.
Is Muriwai on town water, and is there a tsunami risk?
Council supplements drinking water for Muriwai, mainly as a bulk filling point with collection facilities, not as a fully reticulated city supply. Confirm the arrangement for any property. The coast can be affected by tsunami: if an earthquake is long or strong, evacuate immediately, and use the council maps to plan a route to higher ground.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Explore Gisborne only lists suburbs officially recognised by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), and Muriwai is one of them. Suburb boundary: LINZ, CC BY 4.0.