Hikuai

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Hikuai

Hikuai is a small town on the Tairua River towards the base of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies 40 kilometres north of Waihi and 10 kilometres southwest of Tairua, close to the junction of State Highways 25 and 25A, the latter of which is a winding road cutting across the steep Coromandel Range of hills. It is not really a town but a farming community with a school. It is a tourist hot spot in days such as New Zealand Labour Weekend, The Christmas Holidays and especially when Tairua and Pauanui are busy.

It is prone to heavy precipitation and floods (accelerated by the nearby Hikuai river) which often causes impassibility. The cellphone and electricity coverage is patchy but is intact. It has a large colonial and gold mining history making it a special place to explore. Various adventure operators exist and they provide an interesting glance at history and lifestyle.

The population of the Hikuai statistical district was 3252 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 171 from 2001.^[1] The statistical district covers the entire southern half of the Coromandel Peninsula apart from Thames, Te Puru, Tairua and Whangamata, not just the Hikuai locality.^[2]

[edit] Education

Hikuai School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 9 and a roll of 81.^[3] The school was built on the present site in 1897.^[4]