Taita, New Zealand

Taita, one of the easternmost suburbs of Lower Hutt City in New Zealand, lies toward the northern end of the city.

Its urban development began around the middle of the 20th century as part of the Labour Government's State housing scheme.

The main road through the western part of the suburb, Taita Drive, has its southern end in the suburb of Avalon near the Kennedy-Good Bridge.

On the eastern side of Taita, above Taita College stand the buildings of the former Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) Soil Bureau. (Some of the functions of the Soil Bureau have devolved upon Landcare Research New Zealand Limited and have moved to the Turitea campus of Massey University in Palmerston North.)

Taita is famous for its Rock, which is known by locals as "Taita Rock". It is rumoured that "Taita Rock" is a prime location for swingers on a Friday night, where one throws their watch off the launching pad into the swimming hole and retrieves another. It is also rumoured to be a local wash area where the local iwi congregate for communal bathing, using traditional colonial soaps and pumice. It is also know for its magical time space distortion abilities, on the third day of the third month of any year divisible by 9, if there is a Waning Gibbous Moon present.

The Anglican Christ Church dates from the mid-nineteenth century when Taita comprised a rural farming area.