Broad Bay — Whaka Oho Rahi
Hundreds of years ago moa roamed the Otago Peninsula, which was completely clad in native bush. Māori were the first settlers and there are signs that they hunted here and gathered kaimoana and tī kōuka (cabbage tree) in this area. Indeed, they gave this place, Broad Bay, its first name: Whaka Oho Rahi, meaning ‘a place of plenty’ or ‘large resource’.

Move on several hundred years and Broad Bay looks quite different. Settlers arrived from overseas and cleared bush in order to farm and raise stock, then Dunedin city dwellers found that Broad Bay was a great little seaside holiday resort.

Today people recognise that Broad Bay is a great place to live. Only 15 km from the City of Dunedin, it is close enough to work there (if you must) but far enough away to feel like you are in the country. Some people have lived here all their lives, others have recently moved here, and, as more houses are being built and the road access improved, more will come.

This year (2023) is a year of note for Broad Bay: 175 years since the official European settlement of the area, 100 years since the Boat Club was founded, and 75 years since the Polish Church was moved here.