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Colac Bay / Ōraka Ōraka (Māori)
Township
Etymology: From Māori, Ō place of, and Raka, a local chief
Colac Bay / ŌrakaLocation of Colac Bay / Ōraka in New Zealand
Coordinates: 46°21′43″S 167°52′34″E / 46.362°S 167.876°E / -46.362; 167.876
Country	New Zealand
Region	Southland Region
District	Southland District
Established	1850s
Time zone	UTC+12 (NZST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+13 (NZDT)

Colac Bay / Ōraka is a small township situated on the bay of the same name facing Foveaux Strait, and located on the Southern Scenic Route, 10 minutes from Riverton, New Zealand. Surrounding areas include Longwood, Tihaka, Waipango, Round Hill, Wakapatu, Ruahine, Pahia and Orepuki.

Pākehā first arrived in the area in the 1850s to mill timber and mine for gold in the neighbouring Longwood Range. By 1881, the town had been connected to the growing rail network, and by 1900 it had reached a population of around 2000 people. The town has a well appointed cafe, craft shop, pub, caravan park, community hall and marae. The town also features a statue of a surfer riding a wave, which is popular with tourists.

The hills behind Colac are part of the Longwood Range, which were a major gold mining area between the 1860s and 1950s. Further west shale was also mined for a short time. In the gold mining days there was a significant Chinese village towards Orepuki called Canton.

Colac Bay Hill, Lake George, Howell's Hills and the Longwood Range make up the geographic landmarks. In some places Raratoka Island or Centre Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura can be seen by looking across Foveaux Strait.

Name

The area of the township was originally known to Māori as Ōraka (lit. 'place of Raka'), after a chief who lived in the area. The original Pākehā name for the town, Colac Bay, is believed to be a corruption of Korako, a variation on the original Māori name. European whalers are said to have pronounced the original name in a similar way to the English word "colic", hence Kolluck's and "Colac's Bay". With the passing of Section 269 and Schedule 96 of the Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998, Colac Bay was renamed to its current dual name of Colac Bay / Ōraka.

Surfing

Colac Bay / Ōraka is a popular destination for surfing, with cold but otherwise accessible conditions for all experience levels. An annual surfing competition, the Colac Bay Classic, is held in the area.

Climate

Colac Bay's climate, which is similar to Invercargill's for its proximity, is oceanic (Cfb) in Köppen-Geiger climate classification system.

Its sea water becomes the warmest in February, at 12–15 °C (54–59 °F), while the coldest is in August, at 9–11 °C (48–52 °F).

References

1. ^ "Colac Bay | NZ History". nzhistory.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
2. ^ "Colac Bay Ōraka". southlandnz.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
3. "Longwood Forest Conservation Area". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
4. Beattie, J.H. Maori Place-names of Otago, Dunedin 1944 p60
5. Griffiths, G. J. Spurious Maori Placenames of Southern New Zealand. Dunedin: Otago Heritage Books. p. 98
6. "Place name detail: Colac Bay / Ōraka". New Zealand Gazetteer. New Zealand Geographic Board. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
7. "Colac Bay | Surf Seeker | NZ Surf Guide". surfseeker.nz.
8. ^ "Colac Bay Water Temperature (Sea) and Wetsuit Guide (Southland, New Zealand)". Surf-Forest.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.

• Bays of the Southland Region
• Southern Scenic Route
• Populated places in the Southland Region