History behind longest NZ name
It's cool and dark inside Pōrangahau's 140-year-old Duke Hotel. On the mantelpiece sits a black and white photo of Ahuriri's parents and long-time locals, Flo and Baby Houkamau, cigarettes in hand. Outside, the unblinking Hawke's Bay sun has turned rolling farmland from green to gold. A brown and white pony is wandering the streets tearing threads of grass from the road edge. Two young girls are playing hopscotch on the footpath. Next to the dairy, Ahuriri's nephew, Orlando, is selling espresso coffee and bagged plums from a converted horse float. Te Paerahi beach, where you can camp for free, is about 7km from where we stand.
Link to article: Maori Language Week: History behind longest NZ name - NZ Herald
