Famous Small Towns in New Zealand Quiz

Answer: Kerikeri

The Mission House, built to house the Rev. John Butler in 1821-22, is New Zealand's oldest complete standing European house. The Stone Store was built in 1832-36. It was built to house mission supplies and wheat from a mission farm at Te Waimte. Wheat failed and it served as a kauri gum trading store during the years of the Northland gumdigging rush. From 1929 it was a general store until 1976 when it was purchased by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Keri orange juice; named for Kerikeri (though not produced in Kerikeri) can be found in every supermarket in New Zealand.

Answer: Waitangi

The founding document of New Zealand as a nation, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between February and May 1840 between the Crown, represented by Governor William Hobson, and around five hundred Maori chiefs, mainly from the North Island of New Zealand. On 6th Febuary 1840, the first of 46 chiefs, one Hone Heke, signed the Treaty of Waitangi.

The Treaty was then carried around the country so that over 500 Maori tribeleaders could sign the document. On 21st May 1840, the treaty was complete and Hobson became the first governer of the whole of New Zealand. Also to note, prior to that event, in 1832 twenty-five northern chiefs and Europeans met at Waitangi to choose New Zealand's first flag.

Answer: Karitane

Truby King believed that "scientifically formulated doctrines" on nutrition and infant care were the key to the future health of the nation. The Karitane Home for Babies first opened in Dunedin, taking babies and children under two years who were not treated under the general hospital system.

The hospital's first patients were malnourished infants that had been previously residing at Truby Kings own cottage in Karitane. The Plunket philosophy became a part of New Zealand parenting culture. Dr King's books, 'The Expectant Mother' and 'Baby's First Months' were handed out to every applicant for a marriage licence!

Answer: Te Aroha

Te Aroha is located in Waikato in the Coromandel Peninsula region, near Matamata. Spraying about four metres into the air every forty minutes, the Mokena geyser is a one of a kind. The world's only HOT soda water geyser. The world's only cold soda water geyser can be found in Japan.

Other highlights include the Domain which houses *The Te Aroha Mineral Pools and the world's only naturally flowing hot mineral Soda Spa Baths. 'A history of Health and Vitality since 1883'. *The Wyborn Leisure Pool complex which is heated. *The historic Cadman House Museum - New Zealand's original sanitorium.

There one can see the Queen Ann Pipe Organ built in 1712 the oldest pipe organ in the Southern Hemisphere.

Answer: Aramoana

It is a beautiful coastal town nestled at the tip of the Otago peninsula inlet. On November 13th, 1990, residents of the small seaside town of Aramoana awoke to one of the town's residents,one David Grey in a berserk state. He had finally snapped under increasing stress and pressure. Following an argument with a neighbour, with his rifle, he shot the neighbour and other innocent individuals that got in his path.

By the time he himself was shot some 34 hours later, 12 people were executed. In 1979 the construction of an aluminium smelter at Aramoana and Te Ngaru, two small adjacent communities at the head of Otago peninsula, was proposed for a second time.

This proposal was hotly debated and along with the issue of the Clyde Dam, with which it was strongly linked, became one of the most publicised and hard fought 'environmental' campaigns of the early 1980's in New Zealand.

Answer: Bluff

Also famous for being the southern most town in New Zealand, Bluff is the southern tip of State Highway #1. Commercial fishing, oyster dredging, and marine engineering are the local principal industries. On the Tiwai Peninsula, on the east side of the harbour is the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter.

Answer: There is no such place.

Usually it is the answer given by parents when the kids get annoying asking constantly, 'Where are we going'? It is pronounced 'why key car moo co'.

Answer: Opononi

In 1955, a dolphin swam into Opononi, a small bay township in the Hokianga Harbour north of Auckland, and adopted the people of Opononi as her family (whanau). Named Opo for the town, she became famous, first with the local community, then with tourists, and finally with the whole of New Zealand.

She interacted well with everyone she came in contact with. One 13 yr old girl formed a very close friendship with the dolphin. Opo would tow Jill around the bay, and Jill would teach Opo tricks. Opo loved small children but seemed to know how fragile they were.

She was known for her gentleness. As thousands of visitors started to arrive at Opononi, she put on a show for them at the beach there almost every day, making some people scared for her safety.

In response, the government passed a law limiting human interaction with her. But not everyone welcomed this law. Fishermen blamed Opo for their empty nets. The day after the law was passed, Opo was found dead. It was suspected that it was a fisherman that had blown her up with gelignite.

The whole nation was devastated. The local community gave her a public funeral, and erected a remembrance statue of her in the township of Opononi. My own mother and father grew up in the 1950s very close to this town and recall Opo fondly.

Answer: Paeroa

The nationally renowned soft drink, Lemon and Paeroa, had its origins here. The natural spring mineral water was pumped from a deep well within the town to Innes Schweppes Limited's modern manufacturing and bottling plant for processing. This factory was closed with the introduction of the litre bottles.
The very large bottle at the eastern end of the main street has plaques relating the interesting development of this original mineral water when mixed with lemon juice forming the now famous softdrink soda "L and P" (Lemon and Paeroa).

Answer: Waiwera

Waiwera Thermal Resort, located on the Hibiscus coast in the province of Auckland is the largest water park in New Zealand. It draws its hot water from natural thermal springs in the area. Heavy marketing and advertising ensures that even South Island residents know of Waiwera Thermal Resort.