Whakapara Community

Community Organisations	Local Businesses
Public Hall	Touch o Country Cafe
Pony Club	Whakapara Service Centre
Gliding Club	Whakapara BP Service Station

The Whakapara community is mainly farmers, lifestyle block owners and whānau who are descended from Eru and Te Tawaka and other early European settlers.

Location and other close settlements

Whakapara is twenty minutes north of the city of Whangarei and ten minutes north of Hikurangi township. Other settlements in the area are Hukerenui and Towai (fifteen minutes and twenty minutes north of Whakapara), and the township of Hikurangi (ten minutes south of Whakapara).

Over the years many children from Whakapara attended the Hukerenui primary and District High Schools. The Hukerenui school is still open and children from Whakapara still travel there by bus, and others attend the primary school at Hikurangi. See the section about schools on this site for more information.

These settlements also included hotels or as they were often referred to, ‘the local watering holes’ for Whakapara people - the Towai, Hika and Huka taverns being popular stopping places. There was also a general store at Hukerenui where people stocked up on staples such as tea and bread and smokes – many a child had to get permission from teachers to go to the store for their parents during lunch breaks. This was the norm in rural communities.

Community Organisations

Public Hall
The first hall at Whakapara was built down on the flat, it was taken away and turned into a house. Dances were held at the Boarding House or in Finlayson’s barn until the next hall was built by Charlie Hauraki on the site of the present hall. That hall burnt down and the present hall was built by a contractor from Whangarei and completed in March 1922. Whakapara nearly lost that hall as well, it was going to be sold because the contractor had not paid for the timber, or his men’s wages. With subscriptions from the locals, and the rest of the money guaranteed by Jack McLennan, the community finally paid off the hall with fund raising dances and functions.

The hall is used for many occasions including weddings, birthdays, public meetings, socials, as a school and for sports such as bowls and table tennis.

As with many other public community halls there is a memorial plaque commemorating the names of the men from the community who went to war. Many of the families of the names you read are still living in the area today.

The hall is maintained by hireage and by local community members volunteering their time.

community whaka hall 2007

2007

community whaka hall 1960' outside

1960's outside view

community hall 1960s inside

1960's inside view

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Pony Club
Many children have learned to ride and taking care of their ponies at this local pony club. For many years it was run from one of the local farms and could be seen from the main road as you passed by Whakapara. It is now located in the nearby town ship of Hikurang but is still named the Whakapara Pony Club.

Gliding Club
The Whangarei District Gliding Club is situated Gibbs Road, Puhipuhi. You can find out about it here: http://www.igrin.co.nz/~peter/gliding.htm

Local Businesses

Touch o Country Café and Bar
Your hosts are Jason and Dianne. You can enjoy café style breakfasts and lunches, light meals, takeaways and friendly service. Open late on Friday nights.

Contact details
e mail address: touch_o_country@hotmail.co.nz
Phone 09 -4339753

Whakapara Service Centre
The Service Centre is owned by Marc and Carol Head and they do vehicle repairs - you can find out more here www.wscas.co.nz

Whakapara BP Service Station
This service station is located on state highway 1 at Whakapara and is also just before the turnoff to Whananki, Oakura and other popular beach area. It is owned by owned and operated by Mike Magill.

Contact details
e mail address: bp2gowhakapara@ihug.co.nz Phone number 09 -4339761

community BP station

Page last updated 20 Feb 2012