Paparoa, New Zealand

Paparoa is a settlement in Northland, New Zealand. The Paparoa Stream flows from the east, through the settlement, and into the Paparoa Creek to the south, which joins the Arapaoa River which is part of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 12 passes through Paparoa. Matakohe is 6 km to the south west, and Maungaturoto is 12 km east.HistoryPaparoa was one of several Kaipara settlements established by a religious group known as Albertlanders. Port Albert near Wellsford was the main settlement, and Matakohe was another. They settled at the Paparoa Block in 1863. The land was burnt off so that corn and grass could be planted. A road was constructed to the port at Pahi in 1865, and one to Matakohe shortly afterwards. A pottery using local clay and a factory making rope and matting from flax operated in the 1870s, and brick and tile yards were established, but their business suffered from the poor roads and high freight charges. The nearest stores were in Pahi, to the south.The steamer Minnie Casey connected Paparoa with Helensville on the south side of the Kaipara with a weekly service from 1882, and the S.S. Ethel took over from 1891–95, after which services went only to Matakohe and Pahi. The network of roads in the area were improved in the 1880s and 1890s.