Exploring Hikuai
Hikuai is a small settlement located off State Highway 25 in the Coromandel Peninsula. There is a store and petrol station, but it is more than just a pass-through; it offers a chance to explore the scenic Tairua River and its surroundings, and it lies at the intersection of roads to Pauanui and Broken Hills in the Puketui Valley. Along the river, you can enjoy swimming holes and take in the views of the Pinnacles and the Coromandel Range. For a kayak trip down the river, you can exit at Hikuai behind the store.
Gold Mining Service Town to Rural Charm
Hikuai began as a service settlement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mainly shaped by the Coromandel’s gold-mining boom. Positioned along an important inland route between Thames, the centre of gold mining on the Coromandel, the Broken Hills gold mines up the Puketui Valley and the eastern beaches, Hikuai supported miners and timber workers with basic services and accommodation. As mining declined and the kauri forests were stripped, the settlement shifted toward supporting agriculture. Today, it is a gateway to its past, best experienced at Broken Hills, and the region's beautiful east coast beaches.
How to get there
Hikuai is located on State Highway 25, between the intersection of State Highway 25 and SH25A and Tairua. From Auckland, it is a 105-minute drive and 137 km.
From Hikuai, you can turn off towards Pauanui on Hikuai Settlement Road, head to Broken Hills on Puketui Valley Road, or continue north on SH25 to Tairua, then further north up the Coromandel Peninsula towards Hot Water Beach, Hahei, Cathedral Cove, Cooks Beach and Whitianga.
