Hikuai

Place in Waikato, New Zealand

Hikuai

Tairua River at Hikuai

Coordinates: 37°04′30″S 175°46′55″E﻿ / ﻿37.075°S 175.782°E﻿ / -37.075; 175.782
Country| New Zealand
Region| Waikato
District| Thames-Coromandel District
Ward| South Eastern ward
Community Board| Tairua-Pauanui Community
Electorates|

* Coromandel
* Hauraki-Waikato (Māori)

Government

• Council| Thames-Coromandel District Council
• Regional council| Waikato Regional Council
• Mayor of Thames-Coromandel| Len Salt[1]
• Coromandel MP| Scott Simpson[2]
• Hauraki-Waikato MP| Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke[3]

Hikuai is a small community on the Tairua River near the base of the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of Waihi and 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) southwest of Tairua, close to the junction of State Highways 25 and 25A, the latter of which is a winding road cutting across the steep Coromandel Range of hills. It is a tourist hot spot at times such as New Zealand Labour Day weekend, the Christmas and New Year holiday, and especially when Tairua and Pauanui are busy.

It is prone to heavy precipitation and floods (accelerated by the nearby Tairua River) which occasionally causes impassibility.[citation needed] The cellphone and electricity coverage is patchy but is intact. It has a large colonial and gold mining history making it a special place to explore.[citation needed] Various adventure operators exist and they provide an interesting glance at history and lifestyle.

## Demographics

[edit]

Hikuai statistical area covers an area of the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula which surrounds but does not include Tairua and Pauanui. It has an area of 284.15 km2 (109.71 sq mi)[4] and had an estimated population of 290 as of June 2024,[5] with a population density of 1.0 people per km2.

Historical population for the statistical areaYear| Pop.| ±% p.a.

|
|

2006| 231| —
2013| 219| −0.76%
2018| 237| +1.59%
2023| 270| +2.64%
Source: [6][7]

Hikuai statistical area had a population of 270 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 33 people (13.9%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 51 people (23.3%) since the 2013 census. There were 135 males and 135 females in 90 dwellings.[8] 4.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 45.5 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 51 people (18.9%) aged under 15 years, 27 (10.0%) aged 15 to 29, 141 (52.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 51 (18.9%) aged 65 or older.[7]

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 94.4% European (Pākehā); 18.9% Māori; 3.3% Pasifika; 1.1% Asian; and 2.2% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA). English was spoken by 97.8%, Māori language by 5.6%, and other languages by 7.8%. No language could be spoken by 1.1% (e.g. too young to talk). The percentage of people born overseas was 13.3, compared with 28.8% nationally.[7]

Religious affiliations were 22.2% Christian, 2.2% Māori religious beliefs, and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 63.3%, and 8.9% of people did not answer the census question.[7]

Of those at least 15 years old, 42 (19.2%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 123 (56.2%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 51 (23.3%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $37,400, compared with $41,500 nationally. 15 people (6.8%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 105 (47.9%) people were employed full-time, 42 (19.2%) were part-time, and 3 (1.4%) were unemployed.[7]

## Education

[edit]

Hikuai School is a coeducational full primary (years 1–8) school with a roll of 48 students as of March 2025[9].[10] The school was built on the present site in 1897.[11]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "2022 Elections Final Results", www.tcdc.govt.nz, Thames-Coromandel District Council, archived from the original on 10 February 2023, retrieved 27 February 2025
2. ^ "Coromandel - Official Result". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
3. ^ "Hauraki-Waikato – Official Result". New Zealand Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
4. ^ "Stats NZ Geographic Data Service". Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised). Retrieved 1 March 2025.
5. ^ "Aotearoa Data Explorer". Statistics New Zealand. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
6. ^ "Statistical area 1 dataset for 2018 Census". Statistics New Zealand. March 2020. Hikuai (167900). 2018 Census place summary: Hikuai
7. ^ a b c d e "Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Hikuai (167900). Retrieved 3 October 2024.
8. ^ "Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses". Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
9. ^ "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
10. ^ Education Counts: Hikuai School
11. ^ "Our beginnings". Hikuai School. Retrieved 31 January 2023.

## External links

[edit]

* Hikuai School

* v
* t
* e

Thames-Coromandel District, New Zealand

Seat: Thames

Populated places|

| Coromandel-Colville Ward|

* Cape Colville
* Colville
* Coromandel
* Kennedy Bay
* Manaia
* Motutakapu

|

Mercury Bay Ward|

* Cooks Beach
* Coroglen
* Hahei
* Hot Water Beach
* Kūaotunu
* Matarangi
* New Chums Beach
* Otama Beach
* Rings Beach
* Te Rerenga
* Whangapoua
* Whenuakite
* Whitianga

Thames Ward|

* Hikutaia
* Kauaeranga Valley
* Kopu
* Matatoki
* Ngarimu Bay
* Puriri
* Tapu
* Te Mata
* Te Puru
* Thames
* Thornton Bay
* Waiomu

South West Ward|

| Whangamatā C.B.|

* Onemana
* Opoutere
* Whangamata

|

Tairua-Pauanui C.B.|

* Hikuai
* Pauanui
* Tairua

Islands|

* Aldermen Islands
* Castle Island
* Mahurangi Island / Goat Island
* Mercury Islands
* Motueka Island / Pigeon Island
* Motukawao Islands
* Poikeke Island
* Slipper Island
* Whanganui Island

Geographic features|

* Cape Colville
* Castle Rock
* Cathedral Cove / Te Whanganui-A-Hei
* Colville Channel
* Firth of Thames
* Hauraki Gulf
* Kauaeranga Valley
* Mercury Bay
* Moehau Range
* Thames Valley
* Whangapoua Harbour

Facilities and attractions|

* Coromandel Forest Park
* Driving Creek Railway
* Hauraki Rail Trail
* Kopu Bridge
* Pauanui Aerodrome
* Siamese Kauri
* Square Kauri
* Thames Aerodrome
* Thames railway station
* Thames School of Mines
* Whangamata Beach Hop
* Whitianga Aerodrome
* Whitianga Festival of Speed

Government|

* District Council
* Mayor
* Regional Council

Organisations|

* The Mercury Bay Informer
* Ngāti Rongoū
* Thames High School

*[Pop.]: Population
*[±% p.a.]: Per annum growth rate
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template