iced ▁bil ab ial ▁fr ic ative ▁( β ), ▁the ▁vo iced ▁bil ab ial ▁fr ic ative ▁symbol ▁of ▁the ▁international ▁ph on etic ▁alphabet ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁▁ ß , ▁a ▁German ▁letter ▁that ▁res emb les ▁ β ▁ ▁B 3 ta , ▁a ▁British ▁hum our ▁web community ▁ ▁Bet ta , ▁a ▁genus ▁of ▁fish , ▁often ▁miss pel led ▁“ beta ” ▁ ▁Cor al ▁the ▁Bet ta , ▁a ▁character ▁in ▁Son ic ▁the ▁H edge h og <0x0A> </s> ▁Op ua ▁is ▁a ▁local ity ▁in ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁Islands , ▁in ▁the ▁sub - t rop ical ▁North land ▁Region ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁notable ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁port ▁for ▁over se as ▁y ach ts ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁after ▁crossing ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁original ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁town , ▁it ▁was ▁named ▁New port . ▁The ▁town ▁of ▁P ai h ia ▁is ▁nearby , ▁and ▁the ▁small ▁settlement ▁of ▁Te ▁Ha umi ▁is ▁in ▁between . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁New ▁Zealand ▁census , ▁Op ua ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 5 4 6 , ▁a ▁decrease ▁of ▁ 6 6 ▁people ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁census . ▁ ▁The ▁car ▁fer ry ▁across ▁the ▁Bay ▁of ▁Islands , ▁the ▁main ▁tour ist ▁access ▁to ▁Russell , ▁runs ▁between ▁Op ua ▁and ▁O ki ato . ▁ ▁The