Bohemian Rhapsody-Puhoi

Mural inside the ladies restroom!

Hello again, this week my lovely husband and I set off up the Northern motorway to visit the lovely settlement of Puhoi-just a 30 minute drive.

Puhoi is the place to go to get away from it all for a short while, it is situated off the main highway north in a secluded valley that runs along side the Puhoi River. In 1863 a group of settlers came from Bohemia, which is an area of the Czech republic near Prague. After an arduous journey they arrived at Puhoi and began settling onto their allotted land. There is a lovely museum to visit that details all their trials and tribulations at the entrance to the village.

The Puhoi Pub!

Puhoi is famous for three things - the cheese - the canoeing - and most importantly the 
PUB! The Puhoi pub is well over a hundred years old and is a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. Most weekends groups of motorcyclists venture out for a days driving and usually end up here at the pub, they create a great atmosphere and there is much admiration of their bikes by all around. You can get a good pub meal here at lunch and dinner time.

Inside the pub the walls are completely covered with memorabilia from around the world.  You can spend quite a long time browsing through the notes and articles while having a refreshing drink, its all very interesting. In the winter time they also have a cosy fire to sit beside, if you can get close enough!

 Puhoi Valley Cheese Cafe

Well enough of drinking, what about the cheese you say. Just a little further up the road is the home of the Puhoi Valley cheese factory. Recent refurbishments means you can now watch the cheese being made whilst sampling their very tasty cheeses. You can also buy the cheese at a good price.
Outside are lovely grounds to stroll around or just sit and enjoy the view while enjoying lunch.

 On to the canoeing for those who are more energetic or just want to work off all that cheese and beer! At Puhoi River Canoe Hire www.puhoirivercanoes.co.nz you can hire a canoe or kayak for a leisurely 8km paddle to Wenderholm Regional Park. Don't worry about having to paddle back though as their service includes a courtesy coach return to the village. It looks like a fun thing to do, maybe we should have a go lovely husband!!!!

Also worthy of a mention are a couple of gift shops, a mustard makers, a ceramic gallery and a lovely cafe that reputedly sells the best scones in the district (according to my sister-in-law). There is also a good 3 hour bush walk and a beautiful wooden church, that is well worth a view.

On your way back to Auckland a side trip to the Waiwera Hot pools is quite the experience. There you can have a relax in hot, mineral pools and have a spa treatment if you so choose, or even go down the water slide! So make sure you pack your swimsuit and a towel.

Well what a day that was. We are informed, fed, watered, exercised and also relaxed after a full day out to Puhoi Valley. 

Now to think about next weeks trip.............