HUNTLY, NEW ZEALAND

'Huntly' (population 7,067) is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated 93 kilometres south of Auckland and 35 kilometres north of Hamilton. It is situated on State Highway 1 and the North Island Main Trunk Railway and straddles the Waikato River.
Huntly was originally known as ''Rahuipokeka'' and was founded some time in the 1850s.

Contents

Major industries

Rugby League

Tainui

External links

Major industries

The town is most notably known for its massive power station, situated on the western bank of the Waikato River. Huntly power station is New Zealand's largest thermal power station, while the Huntly coal mine is New Zealand's largest producer of coal, producing over 10,000 tonnes a day. The major New Zealand clients for the mined coal are the power station, and the New Zealand Steel mill at Glenbrook.

Huntly is surrounded by rich farmland, and beautiful lakes - used for course fishing, yachting and waterskiing.
Huntly falls within the Waikato District Council and Environment Waikato local government boundaries.

Rugby League

Huntly has a proud rugby league history, at one time the town had four rugby league clubs, they were Taniwharau, Huntly South, Huntly United and Rangiriri Eels. Of these clubs Taniwharau has been the most successful having won 11 straight Waikato premierships during the 1970-80's. Taniwharau also won the inaugural WAICOBAY championship in 2002 and then again in 2007. The WAICOBAY championship is a combined rugby league competition involving clubs from Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coastlines.
A number of Kiwi players have come out of Huntly namely Andy Berryman (Taniwharau), Ricky Muru (Taniwharau), Kevin Fisher (Huntly South), Vaugn O'Callaghan (Huntly South), Tawera Nikau (Rangiriri) and as of late Wairangi Koopu (Taniwharau) and Lance Hohaia (Taniwharau). The town has produced numerous NZ Maori Rugby league representatives.

Tainui

Huntly and its surrounding area is steeped in maori history and falls within the rohe (tribal area) of Waikato-Tainui of the Tainui Waka confederation. Ngati Mahuta and Ngati Whawhakia are the local subtribes within the Huntly area. There are a number of marae in and around Huntly they being Waahi Pa, Te Kauri, Kaitimutimu, Te Ohaaki and further north Maurea and Horahora. Waahi Pa was the official residence of the late Maori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu and is currently still the official residence of her son the Maori King Tuheitia.
Huntly is home to Rakaumanga Kura which became one of the the first bilingual Schools (Maori/English) in New Zealand in 1984. Raukaumanga became a Kura kaupapa (total immersion, maori as its first language) in 1994 and is now known by the name Te Whare Kura o Rakaumangamanga. The school was first established as a native school in 1896.

External links

★ Original website for Huntly

★ Official Huntly Website

★ Official Tainui Website