What is "ngatea"

Ngatea is a small town on the Hauraki Plains in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 18 kilometres southwest of Thames and 70 kilometres southeast of Auckland. Ngatea lies on the Piako River, eight kilometres south of its outflow into the Firth of Thames.

Ngatea is the 'service centre' for the farming area of the Hauraki Plains. It was established in the 1900s as a result of a unique series of canals and stop banks which drained the land and produced rich farmlands for dairy production.

The town also acts as a service town for motorists travelling from Auckland to the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty via State Highway 2. Its population in 2013 was 1248.

Ngatea has two schools, Hauraki Plains College (with students as of and Ngatea Primary School (with students as of