Monument to Hone Heke, at Kaikohe ATLIB 298005

Kaikohe is the seat of the

Far North District The Far North District is the northernmost territorial authority district of New Zealand, consisting of the northern part of the Northland Peninsula in the North Island. It stretches from North Cape and Cape Reinga / Te Rerenga Wairua in the ...

of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the

Northland Region The Northland Region ( mi, Te Tai Tokerau) is the northernmost of New Zealand's 16 local government regions. New Zealanders sometimes refer to it as the Winterless North because of its mild climate all throughout the year. The main population ...

. With a population of over 4000 people it is a shopping and service centre for an extensive farming district and is sometimes referred to as "the hub of the north".

Geography

The town is situated on a relatively level site surrounded mainly by undulating plains and is nearby many former pā sites including Nga Huha,

Pouerua Pouerua is a 270 m high basaltic scoria cone, in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. It is in the locality of Pakaraka and was the site of a pā that was studied during a major archeological project in the 1980s. Pouerua i ...

, Te Rua-hoanga, Ngaungau, Kaiaia, Te Tou o Roro, Taka-poruruku, Tapa-huarau, Nga Puke-pango, Maunga-turoto, and Maunga-kawakawa. On the western edge of town,

Kaikohe Hill Kaikohe Hill (also Tokareireia) is a 282 m high basaltic scoria cone in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. It is on the western edge of the town of Kaikohe Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, ...

rises 300 m above sea level, allowing views of the imposing sand dunes on the

Hokianga Harbour The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...

to the west, farmlands to the east and south toward Mount Hikurangi (625 m). To the north of the

Putahi Putahi is a 381 m high rhyolite dome, in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. To the north of Putahi is Lake Ōmāpere. To its north east are the volcanoes of Tarahi and Te Ahuahu. It was the site of the first, successfu ...

volcanic ridge is

Lake Ōmāpere Lake Ōmāpere is the largest lake in the Northland Region of New Zealand. It is located to the North of Kaikohe. The lake sits within the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field. The lake was formed when an ancient lava flow blocked a valley, form ...

, five km in length, but only two to three metres deep. Around five km to the east is the small village of

Ngawha Springs Ngawha Springs ( mi, Ngāwhā) is a small settlement and hot water springs approximately five kilometres east of the town of Kaikohe in Northland, New Zealand. ''Ngāwhā'' means "boiling spring". The springs reputedly have therapeutic, balne ...

, where hot water springs rise to the surface from the Ngawha geothermal field, and where the

Northland Region Corrections Facility There are eighteen adult prisons in New Zealand. Three prisons house female offenders, one each in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The remaining fifteen house male offenders; ten in the North Island and five in the South Island. In addit ...

is situated. There are several volcanic

scoria cones A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic clinkers, volcanic ash, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are formed by explosive eruptions ...

in the area, which are part of the

Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field The recently active basaltic Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in the Northland Region of New Zealand is associated geographically with an older region of extinct volcanism to its north the Wairakau Volcanic Centre, meaning eruptions in this ...

Demographics

Kaikohe is described by Statistics New Zealand as a small urban area. It covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Kaikohe had a population of 4,437 at the

2018 New Zealand census Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...

, an increase of 582 people (15.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 396 people (9.8%) since the

2006 census 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

. There were 1,287 households, comprising 2,187 males and 2,247 females, giving a sex ratio of 0.97 males per female. The median age was 29.2 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 1,353 people (30.5%) aged under 15 years, 927 (20.9%) aged 15 to 29, 1,623 (36.6%) aged 30 to 64, and 531 (12.0%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 33.9% European/Pākehā, 78.4% Māori, 8.4% Pacific peoples, 4.0% Asian, and 0.9% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 6.5, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 37.8% had no religion, 42.0% were Christian, 12.4% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.6% were Hindu, 0.1% were Muslim, 0.1% were Buddhist and 1.1% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 246 (8.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 825 (26.8%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $19,000, compared with $31,800 nationally. 132 people (4.3%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 1,020 (33.1%) people were employed full-time, 411 (13.3%) were part-time, and 342 (11.1%) were unemployed.

Ngapuhi statistical area

The area around Kaikohe, from the southern side of Lake Ōmāpere to

Kaikohe Airport Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of over ...

and including

, is the statistical area of Ngapuhi, which covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km². Ngapuhi had a population of 1,797 at the

, an increase of 426 people (31.1%) since the 2013 census, and an increase of 291 people (19.3%) since the

. There were 462 households, comprising 1,065 males and 729 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.46 males per female. The median age was 35.9 years (compared with 37.4 years nationally), with 369 people (20.5%) aged under 15 years, 375 (20.9%) aged 15 to 29, 852 (47.4%) aged 30 to 64, and 201 (11.2%) aged 65 or older. Ethnicities were 42.9% European/Pākehā, 71.0% Māori, 7.2% Pacific peoples, 2.7% Asian, and 1.7% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity. The percentage of people born overseas was 7.7, compared with 27.1% nationally. Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 39.1% had no religion, 40.4% were Christian, 10.0% had Māori religious beliefs, 0.3% were Hindu, 0.2% were Muslim, 0.5% were Buddhist and 2.8% had other religions. Of those at least 15 years old, 114 (8.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 285 (20.0%) people had no formal qualifications. The median income was $16,100, compared with $31,800 nationally. 81 people (5.7%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 489 (34.2%) people were employed full-time, 144 (10.1%) were part-time, and 165 (11.6%) were unemployed.

History and culture

Early history

Originally a

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

village called ''Ōpango'', Kaikohe is recognised as being the very heart of the culture of the great

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...

iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...

. In the early 19th century a rival Māori tribe raided the village and fugitives subsisted among the

Kohekohe Kohekohe (''Dysoxylum spectabile'') is a medium-sized tree in the Meliaceae family, native to New Zealand. It is found in lowland and coastal forests throughout most of the North Island and also occurs in the Marlborough Sounds in the north ...

(a native tree) groves on Tokareireia (Kaikohe Hill). After the incident, the village became known as ''Kaikohekohe'' ( kai meaning food) but was later shortened to Kaikohe. Battles during the

Flagstaff War The Flagstaff War, also known as Heke's War, Hōne Heke's Rebellion and the Northern War, was fought between 11 March 1845 and 11 January 1846 in and around the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. The conflict is best remembered for the actions of Hō ...

(also known as 'Hōne Heke's Rebellion') were fought around Kaikohe: at

Hōne Heke Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he w ...

's pā at Puketutu on the shores of Lake Ōmāpere; followed by a battle at

Te Ahuahu Te Ahuahu is a 373 m high basaltic scoria cone, in the Kaikohe-Bay of Islands volcanic field in New Zealand. It was the site of Hone Heke's pā that was the scene of the Battle of Te Ahuahu during the Flagstaff War The Flagstaff War, als ...

; with the warriors of

Te Ruki Kawiti Te Ruki Kawiti (1770s – 5 May 1854) was a prominent Māori rangatira (chief). He and Hōne Heke successfully fought the British in the Flagstaff War in 1845–46. Belich, James. ''The New Zealand Wars''. (Penguin Books, 1986) He traced desce ...

fighting the

Battle of Ōhaeawai The Battle of Ōhaeawai, part of the Flagstaff War, was fought in July 1845 at Ōhaeawai in Northland, New Zealand. The battle was between British forces and their allies from the local Ngāpuhi tribe of Māori on one side, and other Ngāpuhi, ...

. St. Michael's Anglican Church in nearby Ngāwhā Springs was built on the site of the pā at which the battle took place. The warrior chief

settled in Kaikohe after fighting ceased, and died there in 1850. His grand-nephew Hone Heke Ngapua, MP for

Northern Maori Northern Maori was one of New Zealand, New Zealand's four original parliamentary Māori electorates established in 1868, along with Eastern Maori, Western Maori and Southern Maori. In 1996 New Zealand general election, 1996, with the MMP in New Ze ...

, also lived in Kaikohe. In April 1911, a monument to him was unveiled on Kaikohe Hill by Sir James Carroll, acting

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

. A park in the town is dedicated to Rawiri Taiwhanga who has a very strong claim to being New Zealand's first commercial

dairy farmer Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a history that ...

. He milked a herd of cows and sold

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...

in 1834.

To the west of the town is the Aperahama Anglican Church, named after Aperahama Te Awa. It was opened in 1885, a year after his death, and he is buried in the churchyard. It is on the site of an earlier church, built in 1837, and the existing memorial gates were erected and dedicated for that earlier church. The building is registered as a place ''".... of special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance or value...."'' by

Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust) ( mi, Pouhere Taonga) is a Crown entity with a membership of around 20,000 people that advocate ...

. Kaikohe was an important location for the late 19th/early 20th century

kauri gum Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...

digging trade. Also in the town is a Pioneer Village, a 19th-century Northland community recreated with all its colourful atmosphere, history and detail.

Railway links

Kaikohe was linked to the

national rail network In United States railroading, the term national rail network, sometimes termed "U.S. rail network", refers to the entire network of interconnected standard gauge rail lines in North America. It does not include most subway or light rail lines. F ...

with the arrival of a

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

being built from

Otiria Otiria is a rural locality in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It neighbours Moerewa to the east, with the nearest major town, Kawakawa a few kilometres further eastwards. Other nearby localities include Pokapu to the south ...

on the

North Auckland Line The North Auckland Line (designation NAL) is a major section of New Zealand's national rail network, and is made up of the following parts: the portion of track that runs northward from Westfield Junction to Newmarket Station; from there, wes ...

Kaitaia Kaitaia ( mi, Kaitāia) is a town in the Far North District of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula, about 160 km northwest of Whangārei. It is the last major settlement on New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1. Ahipara ...

, which opened to Kaikohe on 1 May 1914. The line continued north to

Ōkaihau Ōkaihau is a small town in the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island, just north of Kaikohe. State Highway 1 passes through Ōkaihau making it fairly busy. Ōkaihau has a primary school (Ōkaihau Primary School) and a secondary scho ...

, opening on 29 October 1923 and eventually reached Rangiahua, although the section between Okaihau and Rangiahua was never handed over to the

New Zealand Railways Department The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR (New Zealand Government Railways) and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway ...

for operation and the line never reached Kaitaia. The line between Okaihau and Rangiahua was operated for a short time by the

Public Works Department This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

before being closed and dismantled during World War II. The railway through Kaikohe thus became known as the

Okaihau Branch The Okaihau Branch, sometimes known as the Kaikohe Branch and rarely the Rangiahua Branch, was a branch line railway that joined the North Auckland Line of the national rail network of New Zealand at Otiria. It was the most northerly line in ...

. Although Kaikohe became the service centre of the Far North, it failed to generate much rail traffic in the early years of the line. During the first ten months of existence, just 1,500 tons of inbound freight was carried, with roughly half that carried outbound, and the decline continued to the point where in 1918 Kaikohe lost its stationmaster. Minimal services were offered, and although losses increased up to 1930, fortunes had somewhat improved by 1940, and by 1950 there was sufficient traffic to justify six trains each way a week. Two carried only freight, while four were mixed goods/passenger trains. At that time, a full complement of staff was again employed at Kaikohe. When

railcar A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach (carriage, car), with a dri ...

s were introduced on services north of

in November 1956, they ran through Kaikohe all the way to Okaihau. Previously, a carriage train known as the

Northland Express The ''Northland Express'', also known as the ''Opua Express'', was an express passenger train operated by the New Zealand Railways Department between 1925 and 1956. It ran from Auckland via Whangarei to Opua in the Bay of Islands. Operation On ...

had run from Auckland to Opua with connections to Kaikohe and Okaihau via the mixed trains, but with the change of the northern terminus to Okaihau, the branch increased in importance. This proved to be short-lived; in July 1967 the popular railcar service was withdrawn due to mechanical problems plaguing the railcars. Passengers had to use the mixed trains, with significantly older rolling stock on a slower schedule. Demand decreased and the branch closed to passengers on 21 June 1976. In 1977, a relaxation of road transport laws led to a decline in freight traffic on the line and forestry proposals that would have required a railway service failed to eventuate. Scheduled trains were cancelled beyond Kaikohe on 12 August 1983, and for a little over four years the line was shunted when required. The branch closed on 1 November 1987 and the track has been lifted. The rail corridor through Kaikohe is still owned by the

New Zealand Railways Corporation New Zealand Railways Corporation (NZRC) is the state-owned enterprise that owns the land beneath KiwiRail's railway network on behalf of the Crown. The Corporation has existed under a number of guises since 1982, when the old New Zealand Railway ...

, being retained in case any forestry proposals come to fruition and the railway is again required, although it now forms part of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail.

Marae

The Kaikohe area has three

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

: * Te Kiore Marae and Te Kiore meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Whakaminenga. * Te Iringa or Parihaka Marae and its

Parihaka Parihaka is a community in the Taranaki region of New Zealand, located between Mount Taranaki and the Tasman Sea. In the 1870s and 1880s the settlement, then reputed to be the largest Māori village in New Zealand, became the centre of a major camp ...

meeting house are affiliated with Ngāti Hinemutu and Ngāti Tautahi. * Ōkorihi Marae is affiliated with Ngāti Hinemutu, Ngāti Tautahi and Ngāti Ueoneone; its meeting house burned down in 2003.

Local government

From 1876, Kaikohe was administered as part of Bay of Islands County. The town attained borough status on 1 July 1947, separating from Bay of Islands County, after a poll of Kaikohe electors saw a vote for the establishment of the borough of 207 votes in favour and 27 against. The first mayor and members of the Kaikohe Borough Council were elected on 20 August 1947. In the 1989 local government reforms, Kaikohe Borough re-amalgamated with Bay of Islands County and joined with Mangonui County, Hokianga County, Whangaroa County and Kaitaia Borough to create the

. Kaikohe was selected to be the seat of the new district and the council's main headquarters are located in the township.

Mayors of Kaikohe

During the period of the Kaikohe Borough Council from 1947 to 1989, Kaikohe had at least five mayors. The following is an incomplete list:

Attractions

Kaikohe is the geographical centre of the Far North. Within a 50 km radius are the

Bay of Islands The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its ...

and the

Waipoua Waipoua Forest is a forest, on the west coast of the Northland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri tr ...

Puketi Poeketi or Puketi is a Ndyuka village in Suriname. It lies in Sipaliwini District. On May 15, 2010, a plane crashed near Poeketi. Energy Between 1981 and 1987, electricity was provided by the Puketi hydroelectric power plant. After this pow ...

and Omahuta kauri forests. Also not far away are the Whangaroa and

Hokianga The Hokianga is an area surrounding the Hokianga Harbour, also known as the Hokianga River, a long estuarine drowned valley on the west coast in the north of the North Island of New Zealand. The original name, still used by local Māori, is ' ...

harbours, the Waiomio limestone caves, many beaches and bays, and historic Kerikeri which is Northland's largest

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

. It is also the home of the Kaikohe Demolition Derby which featured in the "Kaikohe Demolition" movie filmed by

Florian Habicht Florian Habicht is a New Zealand film director. Florian was born in Berlin, Germany and moved with his family to the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, when he was eight. He went to high school in Kerikeri before attending the University of Auckland's ...

. The Twin Coast Cycle Trail, part of the

New Zealand Cycle Trail The New Zealand Cycle Trail project (Māori: ''Nga Haerenga'', "The Journeys") is a New Zealand government initiative, co-funded together with local councils and charitable trusts, which is to build and operate a network of cycle routes throug ...

project, runs through the town.

Notable residents

Former New Zealand Prime Minister

David Lange David Russell Lange ( ; 4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. Lange was born and brought up in Otahuhu, the son of a medical doctor. He became ...

lived in Kaikohe for a time. Former New Zealand First Member of Parliament and brother of

Winston Peters Winston Raymond Peters (born 11 April 1945) is a New Zealand politician serving as the leader of New Zealand First since its foundation in 1993. Peters served as the 13th deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 1996 to 1998 and 2017 to 2020, ...

, Jim Peters, is a current resident. Christian Huriwai, winner of the

street unicycling ''Street unicycling'' is one of the latest developments in unicycling. The aim of the sport is to use natural/urban/specially made obstacles such as ledges, handrails and stairs in a given area to perform tricks that look good. The emphasis falls ...

competition at the 2010 World Championships in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, is a current resident. The New Zealand Kiwis rugby league player Olsen Filipaina was born in the town.

Education

Northland College is a secondary (years 9-15) school with a roll of . It was founded in 1947 on the site of a former

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

camp. The school incorporates a working farm and forestry block. A $14 million reconstruction of the school was completed in 2016-17. Kaikohe Intermediate School (years 7-8) has a roll of . It was established in 1969, taking over the grounds of the former Kaikohe Primary School. Kaikohe East School and Kaikohe West School are contributing primary (years 1-6) schools with rolls of and respectively. Kaikohe West School opened in 1882 as Kaikohe Native School. The name changed to Kaikohe Maori School in the mid-1950s, and to the current name in 1969. Kaikohe East School has a Māori unit offering bilingual and total immersion classes. Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe is a composite (years 1-15) school with a roll of . It is a

Kura Kaupapa Māori Kura Kaupapa Māori are Māori-language immersion schools () in New Zealand where the philosophy and practice reflect Māori cultural values with the aim of revitalising Māori language, knowledge and culture. Kura kaupapa Māori are establish ...

school which teaches fully in the

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

through to Year 13. The school originated in the early 1990s and opened on its present site about 2003. Kaikohe Christian School is a state-integrated composite school (years 1-13) with a roll of The school has a Kaikohe campus and a smaller Kerikeri campus which opened in 1985 and 2004, respectively. All these schools are coeducational. School rolls are as of .

NorthTec NorthTec (Tai Tokerau Wānanga) is a tertiary education provider in northern New Zealand, with its main campus in Raumanga, Whangarei. NorthTec provides programmes ranging from foundation, certificate, diploma and degree levels. The degrees are ...

polytechnic also has a campus in Kaikohe.

Notes

External links

Kaikohe website
{{Far North District Far North District Populated places in the Northland Region *