<P> The film had budget of NZ $9,235,000 . It received $2.5 million from the New Zealand Film Production Fund . Additional financing came from ApolloMedia , Filmstiftung NRW , the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air . Casting director Diana Rowan visited numerous schools to find an actress to play Pai . 10,000 children were auditioned before narrowing it down to 12 . Castle - Hughes impressed Caro in the resulting workshop and was cast as Pai . The film was shot in Whangara on the East Coast of New Zealand 's North Island and in Auckland . Producer John Barnett said `` This novel was set in Whangara and it would almost have been heresy to shoot anywhere else . There are very physical things that are described in the book -- the sweep of the bay , the island that looks like a whale , the meeting houses , the number of houses that are present and of course , the people whose legend we were telling . ( ... ) If we 'd gone somewhere else and tried to manufacture the surroundings and the ambience , then I think it would have been noticeable in the picture . '' The whale beaching was depicted using full - scale models created by Auckland , New Zealand based Glasshammer visual effects . The 60 - foot waka seen at the end of the film was made in two halves in Auckland before being transported to Whangara . The waka was given to the Whangara community after filming concluded . </P>
where was whale rider filmed in new zealand
Whangara on the East Coast of New Zealand 's North Island Auckland