Okoroire ( Maori: ''Ōkoroire'') is a small settlement in the

South Waikato District South Waikato District is a local government district in the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between the cities of Hamilton to the north, Rotorua to the east, Taupo to the south and Ruapehu District to the west. ...

and

Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...

region of New Zealand's North Island, centered around the Okoroire Hot Springs. The place name means 'place of the ''koroire'' / ''toroire'', an extinct species of ring-necked duck. The hot springs consist of three naturally heated geothermal pools dug in 1880, which were extensively redeveloped in 2017 and 2018. The pools are surrounded by bush and ferns. During the late 19th century the pools were used by the sick for treatment and by Māori women to cleanse after giving birth. Local attractions include

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

, bird-watching and fishing. Local walks include the Three Kauri Track, the Wairere Falls walk and Te Waihou walkway. Okoroire Hotel, a historic country pub built in 1889 from ancient-timber, is located nearby near the banks of the

Waihou River The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook in November 1769, when he explored of the river from the mouth. An older Māori name was "Wai Kahou Roun ...

. It has been owned by the same family for three generations. The hotel was sold to a Chinese business in 2014. It made staff cutbacks in 2018. In 2016, members of the Chiefs rugby team were accused of exposing themselves to a stripper during an end-of-season event at the hot springs.

Education

Kuranui Primary School is a co-educational state primary school, with a roll of as of

Railway station

Okoroire was a

flag station In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a stop or station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or dropped off. In this way, s ...

near Rangipai School, about west of the hotel, on the

Kinleith Branch The Kinleith Branch railway line is located in the Waikato region of New Zealand. The line was constructed by the Thames Valley and Rotorua Railway Company, Taupo Totara Timber Company and rebuilt by the Public Works Department primarily to ser ...

, from 8 March 1886. It was above sea level. In 1890 it had no shelter shed, or siding, but by 1896 the station had a shelter shed, platform, cart approach and urinals. By 1911 it also had a by goods shed, sheep yards and a passing loop for 19 wagons. A caretaker was appointed in 1913 and a longer platform and an addition to the shelter shed were made in 1917. The station closed to passengers on 31 July 1962, to all traffic except stock from 18 August 1968 and to stock on Monday 1 June 1970. Only a single track and a plantation remains.

References

{{coord, -37.951886, 175.805399, region:NZ_type:city, display=title South Waikato District Populated places in Waikato