Our Philosophy
We approach our accommodation as a professional undertaking.
Pukenui Homestead has been carefully set up and is personally managed with a strong emphasis on quality, consistency and exceptional cleanliness. Every detail - from the way our guesthouses are prepared to the standard of comfort provided - is intentional and carefully considered.
High standards are simply part of how things are done at Pukenui Homestead.
About Pukenui
History lovingly preserved…
Pukenui House is a Kauri villa that was built in 1906 for Francis Mander – the owner of a number of timber mills in Northland, joint owner (from 1902 to 1906) of the Northern Advocate Newspaper, and a member of the House of Representatives (from 1902 to 1922).
His daughter, Jane Mander, was a well-known New Zealand novalist. Her study, a hexagonal tower room that was on top of Pukenui, is now located at the Whangarei Heritage Museum.
In 1912, Pukenui was bought by Arthur Pickmere. His son Hereward Pickmere took over the family home and is the author of the nautical Charts of Northland’s East Coast of New Zealand.
Another subsequent notable owner was John Banks – a former New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Auckland City.
We are second generation owners of Pukenui; the home having been in our family for more than 25 years.
Pukenui Guesthouse
During the Second World War, Hereward Pickmere (“Pick”) was employed by the Lands and Survey Department to survey Northland’s coastline for military mapping purposes and it was during these four years that much of his initial charting of Northland’s East Coast was done. After this time, Pick continued to work on his Charts while sailing his 34-foot flush-decked launch, “Winsome”. His nautical Charts known as the Pickmere Atlas is now a collector’s item.
Pick built the Pukenui Guesthouse behind Pukenui House as his study where he spent many hours working on his Charts.
