Since the mid-1800s, Ōtaki residents have been fortunate in the provision of public health services. The first doctor to practise in Ōtaki was Charles Hewson. He was appointed in 1853 to “attend to and prescribe for Ōtaki Māori”, according to his obituary in the Manawatu Herald of July 29, 1881. “Having learned there was a large... Keep Reading
This last month the weather was more turbulent across the country than usual. And, despite the red warnings, workers in Aotearoa New Zealand were walking off the job, taking part in the biggest strike this nation has seen for some time. The economic climate is one of gloom, rising unemployment and living costs, as well as being at the mercy... Keep Reading
In the early 1800s Ōtaki Beach was one of the places of rest and recreation for the whalers who returned to the mainland from Kāpiti Island in the off season. Some of these men married into the local iwi and were then able to build huts on what was their wives’ land. Others were housed in rudimentary dwellings only with the blessings of... Keep Reading
Having alterations to one’s house can be challenging, for both the owner and the builder. This is even more so if the house is more than 100 years old and has grown haphazardly from a simple hut to a bungalow over that period of time. Nothing is plumb. Nothing is straight. Building techniques were ad hoc. The wallboards and floorboards are... Keep Reading
Otaki Today