Growing up in Paekākāriki

Jane Cherry writes about her childhood in Paekākāriki. Her family ran the Queen Elizabeth Park amusement park with its boating pond, train, chair-o-plane, and trampolines. The park was a regional attraction, with families coming from far and wide to visit it.

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Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki: hikoi and land loss

Part one in a Paekakariki.nz series looking at the whenua in relationship to Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki, Thane Maxwell, local historian, in partnership with the Farrell whānau, takes us on an historical journey of iwi hikoi and land loss in our region.

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Haere mai, Amerikana

‘Haere mai, Amerikana’ by Dani Deluka is a heart wrenching tale of a love affair between a young U.S Marine and a Paekākāriki woman. It digs deep into Paekākāriki ‘s unique World War 2 history and the tragedy of Tarawa.

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Captain Sanderson’s House for Sale: A heritage opportunity for Paekākāriki?

The former Paekākāriki home of Captain Val Sanderson, founder of Forest & Bird, is shortly to go on the market, according to real estate company Harcourts. The current owner has put considerable effort into looking after the cottage and its trees, keeping the character of the original building and the Sanderson plantings. But there are no legal protections in place to prevent the house being demolished and the trees removed.

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