Houhora

Infobox Settlement
name = Houhora
population_total = 837
population_as_of = 2006
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = New Zealand
subdivision_type1= Region
subdivision_name1= Northland Region
subdivision_type2= District
subdivision_name2= Far North District
pushpin_

latd = 34
latm = 47
lats = 47
latNS = S
longd = 173
longm = 6
longs = 24
longEW = E

Houhora is a locality and harbour on the east side of the Aupouri Peninsula of Northland, New Zealand. It is convert|41|km|abbr=on north of Kaitaia. Waihopo, Te Raupo, Pukenui, Raio and Houhora Heads are associated localities on the southern shores of the harbour. State Highway 1 passes through all these localities except for Houhora Heads. Te Kao is 24 km north west, and Waiharara is 22 km south east. [cite book|title=Reed New Zealand Atlas|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7900-0952-8|author=Peter Dowling (editor)|publisher=Reed Books|pages=map 2] [cite book|title=The Geographic Atlas of New Zealand|year=2005|id=ISBN 1-877333-20-4|author=Roger Smith, GeographX|publisher=Robbie Burton|pages=map 16]

The harbour is long and narrow, mostly sheltered but with exposed sand banks at low tide. There is a deep channel along the southern shore as far as Pukenui Wharf. Mt Camel (also called Mt Houhora) is a 236 metre hill forming the North Head. The South Head is a flat area. [cite book|title=The Visitors' Guide to the Far North - Mangonui County|last=Parkes|first=W. F.|edition=3rd edition|date=c.1965|pages=p.34]

The population was 837 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 78 from 2001. [cite web|url=http://www.stats.govt.nz/census/2006-census-data/final-counts/northland-region.htm|title=Final counts – census night and census usually resident populations, and occupied dwellings - Far North District|publisher=Statistics New Zealand]

History

Houhora Mountain was the first part of New Zealand that the early explorer Kupe saw, but he thought it was a whale, according to Māori legend. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/UnderstandingTheNaturalWorld/NgaWaewaeTapuMaoriExploration/2/en|title=Coastal explorers|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand] Houhora was a Māori base settlement in the early 14th century. [cite book|title=The Penguin History of New Zealand|author=Michael King|year=2003|id=ISBN 0-14-301867-1|pages=p 67|edition=7th edition] Snapper, seals, dolphins, moa and other birds were food sources. [cite book|title=Houhora : a fourteenth century Maori village in Northland|author=Louise Furey|date=2002|id=ISBN 0908623526 Quoted in "The Penguin History of New Zealand"]

James Cook named Mt Camel, on the north head of Houhora Harbour, on 10 December 1769. He described it in his log as "a high mountain or hill standing upon a desert shore."

Te Houtaewa was a Te Aupōuri athlete, who was killed at Pukenui during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/MaoriNewZealanders/MuriwhenuaTribes/1/en|title=Muriwhenua Tribes - Ancestors Peninsula|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand]

Hone Heke was defeated by Tāmati Wāka Nene in the Battle of Te Ahuahu at Pukenui on 12 June 1845. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/1966/H/HekePokaiHone/HekePokaiHone/en|title=HEKE POKAI, Hone|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of New Zealand]

In the 19th century, Houhora Harbour provisioned whalers, and residents mounted their own whaling expeditions in open boats.. Three families - Wagener, Subritzky and Yates - settled in the area to farm and trade. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/Places/Northland/NorthlandPlaces/1/en|title=Aupōuri Peninsula|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand] The Subritzky family, who arrived near Motueka in 1843, claim to be New Zealand's first Polish settlers. They moved to Australia and then to Houhora Heads. [cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/NewZealanders/NewZealandPeoples/Poles/1/en|title=Poles - The first arrivals|encyclopedia=Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand] Their homestead there took two years to build in the 1860s. It was sold to a member of the Wagener family in 1897.cite book|title=The Visitors' Guide to the Far North - Mangonui County|last=Parkes|first=W. F.|edition=3rd edition|date=c.1965|pages=p.35]

A lifeboat from "Elingamite", which was wrecked on the Three Kings Islands on 9 November 1902, arrived in Houhora the following day with 52 survivors. One of the whalers immediately was dispatched to intercept any vessel along to coast to divert it to the Three Kings. This mission was successful.

Famous people

*Lloyd Allan Trigg, a pilot in the RNZAF during World War II, and Victoria Cross recipient.

Education

Pukenui School is a coeducational full primary (years 1-8) school with a decile rating of 3 and a roll of 75. [cite web|url=http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1086|title=Te Kete Ipurangi - Pukenui School, Northland|Pukenui School|publisher=Ministry of Education]

Attractions

The Wagener Museum at Houhora Heads was built by W E Wagener. It contained an eclectic collection of artefacts, with a particularly comprehensive of seashells. In 2003 the museum closed and a substantial part of the collection was sold off, but the museum subsequently reopened with more localised displays. [cite web|url=http://www.nzarchaeology.org/blog/archive/2003_10_01_oldnews.htm|title=New Zealand Archaeology News|date=22 October 2003|publisher=New Zealand Archaeological Association] The adjacent Subritzky Homestead, largely restored, is also open to the public. [cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=aiIrweIMckQC&pg=PA217&lpg=PA217&dq=Houhora+%22Wagener+museum%22&source=web&ots=Pg88gehg2R&sig=Z5VEpq1iYT--ydfHHjGjnHciwxw|title=The Rough Guide to New Zealand 3|author=Laura Harper, Tony Mudd, Paul Whitfield|year=2002|page=p 217]

Notes