Whakatane (IPA , also pronounced ; or ) is a town in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand, the seat of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Whakatane is 90 km east of Tauranga and 98 km north-east of Rotorua, at the mouth of the Whakatane River. The town has a population of 18,000, with another 15,000 people living within the greater Whakatane district.