Huia School (Huia Lodge)

Huia Schoolhouse

Little thought was given to the suitability of the site, which had no level playing area. On wet days the children played underneath the building in an unventilated space without a floor, until eventually an assembly area was carved out of the hillside.

At first there was no road or even a footpath between the school and the settlements of Little Huia and Big Huia. Some of the children walked round the waterfront to get to school, clambering over rocks and even stripping off and wading through the water with their clothes on their heads if the tide was too high. Others made their way along cattle or wild pig tracks through the bush, or were brought to school on horseback or by dinghy.

For many years Huia School was the centre of community activity in the district, with concerts, dances and church meetings held there. However the poor location, inadequacies of the site, and fluctuating roll meant that it's days as a school were numbered. It finally closed in 1961.

Huia School today

Today the former Huia School is part of Huia Lodge, an outdoor recreation camp and residential facility with accommodation for 24 persons. Ironically, its relative isolation and proximity to the coast and regenerating forest at Huia Bay now make it an ideal facility for schools, family groups and corporate teams wanting to get away from it all.

The historic schoolhouse has been restored and, repainted it in its original colour scheme.

Getting there:

Huia Lodge is situated at 1334A Huia Road, Huia, in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Parkland. It is about 45 minutes drive from Auckland City.