Hikurangi Hotel

Like some other Northland Places, Hikurangi is a quiet achiever in terms of preserving built history, in this case, an 1882 historic hotel, in very original condition.

Crafted, of course, from Northland Kauri, it is a traditional style and shape for New Zealand small town heritage pubs, with 1893 additions which saw it recoginsed as 'one of the best north of Auckland' back in those days. The Coach to Whangarei used to arrive at, and depart from, here the road having been put in only a few years before the hotel. Rail came a few years later, but has since ceased, the railway station retired to Whangarei Heritage Park.

Supporting the growth of Hikurangi town was at first coal mining, then gum digging, and later the quarrying of limestone from the Waro and Wilsonville Quarries. Fletchers now own Wilsonville via Golden Bay Cement. A cooperative Dairy had buildings in Hikurangi, but it later merged with the Northland dairy, and then the premises were closed down.

The pub remains. Locals call it 'Te Hika' and support it fiercely.

Image Credits: Google Maps