Pukekohe Auckland NZ

Pukekohe is situated 50 km (31 miles) south of Auckland by road and 8km (5 miles) west of the Bombay Hills. To the south the land rises gently to the Pukekohe Hill but elsewhere the surrounding country is flat to undulating. The North Island Main Trunk railway runs through the town but the main Auckland-Hamilton highway passes 8km east. By road Pukekohe is about 90km (55 miles) north-west of Hamilton. It is part of the greater Auckland Region and was one of the eight former local bodies which joined to form Auckland Council. Previously it was part of Franklin District. The main rural activity of the district is market gardening. Potatoes and onions are grown extensively. Dairy and sheep farming are also important. Pukekohe is a servicing and distributing centre for a closely settled district. Industrial activities include the manufacture of butter and milk powder, vegetable processing; the making of concrete products, farm implements, joinery, and general and precision engineering. There are stock saleyards in the town. Within the area are several areas of intensive market gardening. In recent years residential housing has tended to encroach on market gardening land and to extend up the northern slopes of Pukekohe Hill. The town centre retains its owner-occupier vibe with a general absence of international franchises some of which can be found away from the main shopping street. For many years it was well known for its motor racing circuit, this has since closed with the opening of the big motorsport area at Hampton Downs to the south. I was lucky enough to hurtle around the racetrack as a passenger with my old neighbour Tony who was a race car builder extraordinaire and an all out mechanical engineering genius. #pukekohe,#newzealand,#auckland