Hokitika, New Zealand
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Hokitika is a township on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, 40 kilometres (25 Miles) south of Greymouth, and close to the mouth of the Hokitika River.
Founded on gold mining in 1864, it was a centre of the West Coast goldrush. By late 1866 it was one of the country's most populous centres. It became the capital of the short-lived Westland province in 1873.
The population has declined greatly since that time, to just over 4,500.
The major industries of greenstone (pounamu), gold, coal, and forestry have all dwindled over the last century, but a growing ecotourism industry has grown up and the town is starting to show signs of recovery. It has become a major tourist stop on the West Coast's main highway route, with carving of greenstone an important local industry. It is also gaining a reputation for its annual wild food festival [link] [link] which has been running since 1990.
Another important industry is dairying, as Westland Milk Products[link] is based in the town. A co-operative that has been producing dairy products for many years, it is increasing its production at about 10% annually. Plants to produce new products (different types of proteins, AMF and others) have been installed in 2004 and 2005; and in 2006 a new dryer will be installed and commissioned. The vast majority of its production is exported.
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