PUHOI THE PLACE

Puhoi is the stuff of legend, evoking images of colourful and resilient Bohemian types living life at the edge. Which is pretty much how it was. And possibly still is. The Puhoi Pub has been famous for generations. Situated 40km north of Auckland, the settlement was founded in 1863 by Bohemian Captain Mark Krippner, and attracted immigrants from Bohemia in search of land to farm. Canoeing up the Puhoi River expecting farmland, they got wilderness instead, and for survival had to resort to trading firewood and breeding bullocks to shift logs. Two nikau whare were built to house the first settlers. Things have moved on a bit since then, with the rolling farmland now happily in place. Puhoi continues to retain much of its Bohemian charm, while we continue to enjoy its magic.