Kakahi

Kakahi (38.93647° S 175.38455° E) is a small village about 10km up the Whanganui River from Taumarunui. It can be accessed from State Highway 4 using access roads Waitea Road or Whakapapa Road. Weather

Kakahi derives its name from the Kakahi fresh water shellfish which may be found in the area.

The North Island Main Trunk Railway passes through Kakahi over the Kakahi Stream via a large concrete pillar and steel girder bridge.

The local sports teams are generally dressed in blue and gold. There is a local sports area (called "The Domain") to the north of the village overlooking the Whanganui River. It was here that the Kakahi field hockey team was based. And here also during the 1970s was a regular motocross and the Kakahi rodeo Club competions. These were run to raise funds for community activities. Around the parimeter of the hockey field are the remains of a racing bycycle track, except a portion of the track was washed away during the 1950s flood.

Last century Kakahi was a King Country sawmill town, with four timber mills around the township, many tram lines for moving the timber (mainly totara). Kakahi also had three churches, one hotel (burned to the ground), one boarding house and a pool hall. It still has the active Kakahi Primary School(Photos), the "Kakahi General Store" (also a post office), and the "Kakahi Hall" (which has been restored to full function by the community).

The hall was originally commissioned by one of the local timber milling businesses and was used as a silent movies cinema and dance hall. As such it still retains its piano, fireproof Celluloid film projection room and even has copper tubing in the ceiling for the "white spirit" internal lighting system.

Other commercial buildings that remain in Kakahi that are no longer in their original use are the butcher, baker (complete with retired bread oven), original postoffice and a Blacksmith's stables.

The Kakahi Bakers here were known for trucking their hot bread widely in the region, and even supplied many of the Bush Mills in the hills as far away as National Park. Interestingly the expression "The best thing since sliced bread" belies that fact that many small bakers could not afford the expensive patented (and sometimes unreliable) bread slicers. This was a contributing factor in the closing of bakers here.

A marae(photos) of the Ngati Manunui hapu of Tuwharetoa is located in the town. A Catholic church, complete with its bell tower, stands on the edge of the marae.

Kakahi is also noted for trout fly fishing (in-particular the "Kakahi Queen" fly) and for a once resident Peter McIntyre (Official wartime artist for the New Zealand military)

The Whanganui River and Whakapapa River meet about five kilometres to the east of Kakahi, about 1km from the end of the Te Rena Road (an old logging tram line).

External Links

• Peter McIntyre
• [worldwind://goto/world=Earth&lat=-38.93647&lon=175.38455&alt=4987&dir=-0.2 Kakahi Hall – NASA Satellite Image]
• Kakahi Location on a map: 38.93647° S 175.38455° E

• [worldwind://goto/world=Earth&lat=-38.93659&lon=175.38451&alt=576&dir=147.8&tilt=78.7 Composite Satellite/Radar Image of Kakahi with Mountains: Ruahehu, Tongarero and Ngarahoe in background]