Paeroa is a small town in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, in the northern
WaikatoWaikato is a Region of New Zealand. With coasts on the western and north-eastern sides of the North Island, it stretches from Lake Taupo and northern King Country in the south, north to the Coromandel Peninsula. It is bounded by Auckland on the north, Bay of Plenty on the east, Hawke's Bay on...
region of the
Thames ValleyThe Thames Valley is a district in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located along the banks of the Waihou River, formerly known as the Thames River, to the south of the Firth of Thames, southeast of Auckland....
. Located at the foot of the
Coromandel PeninsulaThe Coromandel Peninsula lies in the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Waikato region and extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean to the...
, it is close to the junction of the
Waihouthumb|The Waihou River as it passes [[Paeroa]]The Waihou River is located in the northern North Island of New Zealand. Its former name, Thames River, was bestowed by Captain James Cook....
and
Ohinemuri RiverThe Ohinemuri River is located in the north of New Zealand's North Island.The river rises close to the shore of the Bay of Plenty, but flows west rather than into the bay. It runs through the steep-sided Karangahake Gorge, forming a break between the Coromandel Range and the Kaimai Ranges...
s, 20 kilometres from the coast at the
Firth of Thamesright|thumb|320px|A true-colour image showing the Hauraki Gulf . The Firth of Thames is the large bay to the southeast. The image was acquired by NASA's Terra satellite, on October 23, 2002....
. The population is 3900.
Paeroa is known for its
mineral springMineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce water containing minerals, or other dissolved substances, that alter its taste or give it a purported therapeutic value...
s which provide the water used in a local
soft drinkA soft drink is a drink that does not contain alcohol . Soft drinks are often carbonated and commonly consumed while cold. The most common soft drinks are colas, flavored water, sparkling water, iced tea, sweet tea, lemonade, squash and fruit punch....
which has become a New Zealand favourite,
Lemon & PaeroaLemon & Paeroa, also known as L&P, is a sweet soft drink manufactured in New Zealand. Traditionally made by combining lemon juice with carbonated mineral water from the town of Paeroa, it is now manufactured by multi-national Coca-Cola....
.
History
Captain James CookCaptain James Cook, FRS RN , was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer, ultimately rising to the rank of Captain in the Royal Navy...
explored the Waihou River in 1779, taking a long-boat up as far as Netherton, just a couple of miles from where the town of Paeroa was built 100 years on.
The area was briefly explored in October 1826 by Captain James Herd, in command of the
Lambton and the
Isabella (or
Rosanna). Herd was sent on an exploratory mission by the first organisation to be known as the
New Zealand CompanyThe New Zealand Company originated in 1839 in London with the aim of promoting the "systematic" colonisation of New Zealand. The Company intended to follow the colonising principles of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, who envisaged the creation of a new-model English society in the southern hemisphere...
and claimed to have bought one million acres (4000 km²) of land from local Māori in Hokianga and Manukau.
By 1869, anticipating the rush to the Ohinemuri Goldfields, considerable numbers of miners camped at Cashell’s Landing "Puke".
In 1870, Asher Casserels, a
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
n, leased the block of land known as Paeroa from Māori. This included Primrose Hill and most of what is now the town centre.
When James Mackay (surveyor) and Sir David McLean (Minister of Mines) completed negotiations six years later with the Māori Chiefs, Tukukino and Taraia, the fields were declared open. Six hundred miners rushed to Karangahake, considered to be the
El DoradoEl Dorado is a legend that began with the story of a South American tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and would dive into a lake of pure mountain water....
, on March 3, 1875. A canvas town of 1,600 people with about 20 stores and grog shops set the area going. The big gold reefs like Talisman and Crown were discovered but proved hard to work. Heavy machinery required for hard quartz mining had to be brought via the Waihou River and up to Paeroa. The river was the only highway and with two shipping companies in operation, Paeroa became a thriving transport and distribution centre.
When the Northern Steamship Company combined with its opposition, the wharves from near the
Bank of New ZealandBank of New Zealand is one of New Zealand's largest banks. The first branch opened in Dunedin on 2 December 1861. BNZ is now owned by National Australia Bank....
(Wharf Street) had to be shifted two miles (3 km) downstream in 1892, and eventually to just below Puke Bridge due to the silting from mining operations. A busy freight business developed with four ships regularly running from
AucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with a population approaching 1.4 million residents, percent of the country's population. Demographic trends indicate that it will continue to grow faster than the rest...
to Thames to Paeroa. The
Thames BranchThe Thames Branch railway line connected Thames, New Zealand with Hamilton and was originally part of the East Coast Main Trunk Railway. Part of the line between Morrinsville and Waitoa remains open and is in use as the Waitoa Industrial Line, connecting to the Fonterra Diary Factory at...
railway line reached the town in 1881 and gradually ships gave way to steam, which in turn gave way to road transport.
When Brenan and Company, the largest horse and wagon operator, moved to trucking, they bought out the steamship company and named their trucks after the ships that plied the Puke River. Waimarie and Taniwha were always painted on the new International or Ford trucks that came into their fleet. When transport operator Sarjant’s amalgamated with Brenan, a large truck centre evolved in Paeroa.
As the passenger rail service dwindled, Paeroa eventually lost its railway, so much of the town had its beginnings in supply and transport to the Hauraki and District. The swings of time have enabled the town to boom and revert a number of times.
National Bank Gold Refinery
A historic Paeroa building, in the town centre, is the former National Bank of New Zealand's gold refinery, built in 1914
in Willoughby Street. The building is now a private home and business, hidden from street level view by a
pongaCyathea dealbata, or the silver tree fern or silver fern , is a species of medium-sized tree fern, endemic to New Zealand....
fence.
In 1911 the National Bank formed joint venture with the New Zealand Mining Trust and the bank purchased a section with a frontage by deep in Arthur Street (now Willoughby Street) for 200 pounds.
By February, 1914, a Ferro-cement building by , with an iron roof and a tall smokestack was completed. Inside was the main refining chamber, two assay office, weighting room, accounting room, engine and dynamo rooms, two officers' bedrooms, sitting room and bathroom. Detached from the main building was a store room and coal hopper.
Location
At the intersection of State Highways 2 and 26, Paeroa is the central service location for the Hauraki District with the town being a midway stop for those travelling between Auckland and Tauranga/Rotorua. About half way between Auckland and Tauranga, Paeroa is also the southern gateway to the Coromandel Peninsula, the eastern gateway to the
Bay of PlentyThe Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BoP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
and the
Karangahake GorgeThe Karangahake Gorge lies between the Coromandel and Kaimai Ranges at the southern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. A sharply winding canyon, it was formed by the Ohinemuri River....
. More recently Paeroa has been the base for many adventurers in and around the Coromandel/Waikato area.
Local attractions
Whilst Paeroa is home to New Zealand’s very own soft drink, ‘Lemon and Paeroa’(Started in 1907), Paeroa is also famous for a variety of beautiful locations, attractions, events and boasts about 20 antique & secondhand stores.
Attractions include bush, river and town walks, an historic Maritime Park, a full golf course and the Maritime Museum, together with the antiques and collectibles trail, and arts and crafts outlets are among other notable local features.
Paeroa has a beautiful public domain, located just a few metres from the main street, which is a haven for many mature specimen trees and host to a variety of sporting events.
Horse racing is held throughout the year at the Paeroa Racecourse, and hunting, shooting and fishing are available in season.
The town’s main street offers a full range of retail outlets for the visitor or passing motorist – antiques, collectibles, secondhand goods, plus a full range of retailers, restaurants and cafes.
Primrose Hill provides stunning vistas of the surrounding district.
Development of the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway began when the Paeroa to Waihi railway line was closed in 1979. The track follows the old railway formation including a 1 km tunnel, and passes several important historical features.
The Ohinemuri River flows through the Gorge and good swimming areas and picnicking sites are easily accessed. For the more adventurous, walking tracks lead into the Kaimai-Mamaku and Coromandel Forest Parks (maps are available from the Paeroa Information Centre).
The four way road access in Paeroa is unique in giving visitors a varied choice of travelling via hills, coast or bush.
Events
Paeroa is known as the Events Capital of the Coromandel, as well as having a national reputation for horseracing. February is a busy event month in Paeroa and the motorcycle race
‘Battle of the Streets’Paeroa Street Circuit is a "Hacksaw" shape temporary street circuit in downtown Paeroa, New Zealand for motorcycle racing runs around Belmont Road, Normanby Road, State Highway 2, right turn into Arney Street and go over the hill into Princes Street...
and ‘Pipe Band Tattoo’ events both attract participants and crowds from all over New Zealand and overseas.
Sporting Paeroa
Paeroa is well served with community facilities and the public domain, located just a few metres from the main street, provides excellent sporting facilities for many sporting codes such as rugby, netball, athletics and croquet. Paeroa is also home to New Zealand’s world champion netball coach,
Ruth AitkenRuth Ellina Aitken is a New Zealand former international-level netball player and current head coach of the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns...
. There are many other sporting facilities located within Paeroa including two club rugby fields, soccer, Pony Club, lawn bowls, squash, tennis courts, an 18 hole golf course and the recently upgraded swimming facility.
Another facility that Paeroa is justly proud of is its Racecourse, boasting the only double-hill steeplechase track outside of Auckland. Set at the base of the Coromandel range, the course offers excellent on-course facilities and magnificent rural vistas.
Trout fishing is a popular past-time in Paeroa. The Ohinemuri, Komata, Maratoto Streams all provide trout and present a challenge to the most ardent angler.
Visitor information
Visitors to Paeroa can enquire at the Information Centre, located at the northern end of town in the L&P Cafe (Across the road from its previous location), for details of local attractions and events – phone +64-7-862-8636.
External links