Coastal township 90 km north of Gisborne. In the 1840s shore whaling took place from Tokomaru Bay. The ancestral mountain Marotiri is clearly visible from the town, which is bisected by the ancestral river Mangahauini. A battle between Pai Mārire (Hauhau) forces and local Māori took place at Māwhai Point on the southern side of the bay in August 1866. The depleted defenders, including many women, were victorious. In the later 19th century the bay became a center for the local pastoral industry. In 1911 and the wharf was extended to take overseas ships.
