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Settlement in Waikato, New Zealand
the electorate

Port Waikato is a well known surfing and whitebaiting destination and a popular holiday spot. Fish can be caught off the rocks and surf beach, and off the sand dunes that border the river mouth. Flounder and mullet are also plentiful using drag nets. Port Waikato is a location where sedimentary rock formations of 65–85 million years' antiquity are found, and a Jurassic period dinosaur fossil was found there. Weathertop footage from the Lord of the Rings was filmed in limestone outcrops just south of the town. The Port has a Wharf Store, established 1893, a take away shop, café, campground, library, community hall, fire station, surf lifesaving club, yachting club and an active fishing club.

Port Waikato was an important port during the New Zealand Wars of the 19th century. It was the first of the colonial settlements to be constructed after the wars, being started in 1863. It had until then been called Putataka, but soon the present name was in general use. For many years Port Waikato was the transhipment point between ships of the Northern Steamship Co and the river steamers of the Waikato Shipping Co, run by Caesar Roose. The frequency increased to twice a week in 1924. At the same time a Cambridge to Port Waikato excursion was being run two or three times a year, taking 12 to 14 hours downstream and a few hours longer upstream. Now the only public transport is a morning and afternoon bus from Pukekohe on Thursdays.

The local Ōraeroa Marae and its Whareroa meeting house is meeting place for the Waikato Tainui hapū of Ngāti Tāhinga and Ngāti Tiipa.

Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Puaha o Waikato is a co educational state Māori immersion primary school, with a roll of as of .