Local Bohemian rhapsody

The Puhoi Pub has long been a popular watering hole.

As we sat nursing our beers outside the Puhoi pub, listening to a couple of Texan country singers, we couldn't help wondering what the Bohemian settlers of the place might have made of it all.

If, as L.P. Hartley, said, "the past is a foreign country", then the distance between modern New Zealand and rural Germany in 1863 is less a far country than another universe. The pious pioneers and the 2006 lunchtime drinkers might be alien species.

But when it comes to trying to get a glimpse of that remote life, Puhoi tries harder than most places. It cherishes its history and the community has worked hard to keep it alive.

Coming into the village from State Highway One you pass a wayside calvary, common in Europe but rare in New Zealand, and almost the first substantial building you reach is the museum, tucked next to the pretty church.

It is modest enough, but rather more than the random collection of antiques and bric-a-brac which often lurks behind the museum nameboard.

The exhibits of documents, letters, artefacts and evocative photographs is held together by a tightly focused narrative thread. It tells how the land was settled by a small, brave band of people pursuing a dream. It is not a tale of glory but a domestic epic of endurance worthy of a Norse saga.

Driven by that age-old obsession - the hunt for a little land - and by a fear of ethnic and religious persecution, a group of 83 Catholics from Bohemia, then in Germany and later to be part of Czechoslovakia, set off on a journey across the world that would take them almost four months.

Unlike the modern migrants, whose decision is that of an individual or a family, theirs was a corporate venture, as if a village had decided to shift, lock stock and barrel, and try its luck on the moon.

They ended up in an environment far from the land of milk and honey they may have imagined. The land was unbroken and unpromising, steep, rocky and muddy.

But with the succour of local Maori they found the power of endurance and built a community that has survived. The names of the early settlers are still strong in the area.

You leave the little museum awestruck at the sheer physical toughness of the pioneers and their capacity for relentless toil. Just reading about it in the charming little centenary booklet made me feel like a drink, and the pub is not very far.

Pulling in next to rows of gleaming Harley-Davidsons seemed a far cry from the bullock chains heaving logs through glutinous clay. But perhaps those pious farmers wouldn't have been shocked. They were fond of music and dancing and brought their accordions, violins and their version of the bagpipes, the dudelsack. Perhaps it's not too fanciful to see the pub's country music promotion as part of the same tradition.

And on the evidence of dates the Bohemians weren't averse to a drink either. The first tavern was in business within 10 years of their arrival. This was run by an Irishman and, carefully avoiding all jokes, we can note it was ousted by Bohemian rivals, with the present Puhoi Pub boasting its birth in 1879.

The early settlers might also have been appreciative of the entrepreneurial spirit which is a characteristic of the community now. The Bohemians were prepared to turn their hands to almost any trade to turn a dollar, and the modern community is harvesting a varied crop of visitor dollars.

Within a short distance you can visit The Art of Cheese at the Puhoi cheese factory, with a pleasant cafe and shop which were doing good business on our visit. In the grounds was a display of local artists' garden and art and sculpture. Nearby is the Plantery, which offers a range of handmade mustards and marmalades.

And if you want to step away from the road and retrace the river route by which the early settlers did much of their fetching and carrying, you can hire canoes and take the trip to Wenderholm.

The early settlers also had a tradition of hospitality, and that attitude was certainly mirrored at the Ridge Lodge where we stayed, even if Ian and Maralyn Bateman are comparative newcomers. The setting lives up to the name, with the lodge perched just below the skyline, with views of the valley and out to the coast.

There is something of a contrast to the first shacks of the settlers in the style of the lodge, however. The three guest rooms and central lounge and dining room are beautifully appointed.

But it was the hospitality which set the Ridge apart. Because it is intimate and the Batemans are so welcoming it's rather like being at a house party. The dinner was a treat, demonstrating Maralyn's background in top-level catering, and over the long, leisurely breakfast we felt we were with old friends.

The Ridge is a perfect base for exploring Puhoi, but it is also within easy reach of the growing number of attractions in this area north of Auckland. We called in at the Matakana farmers' market, which is more a lifestylers'showcase, but none the worse for that with a good range of stalls and a laidback atmosphere.

There is a terrific range of lunch options, from Warkworth to the vineyards such as Heron's Flight and Ascension, and if you need an after-lunch breath of fresh air there is a choice of those regional parks jewels, from Wenderholm to Tawharanui and the newcomer at Scandrett.

A good walk and you might feel you have earned another wind-down at the Ridge, with a spa before dinner, thinking, but only thinking, of the hardships of those who transformed the landscape.

Checklist

Getting there
The turn-off to Puhoi Village is well signposted off State Highway One, about 45 minutes' drive north of Auckland.

Accommodation
The Ridge Luxury Country Lodge, 147 Greenhollows Rd
Puhoi Historic Village
North Auckland 1243
Email: relax@theridge.co.nz
Freephone: 0508 TheRidge (843 743)
Ph: (09) 426 3699
Fax: (09) 426 3695
Dinner, bed and breakfast.

Puhoi
Puhoi River canoe hire, bookings essential,
ph (09) 422 0891
Mustardmakers at the Plantery
The Art of Cheese
ph (09) 422 0670
The Puhoi Pub
ph (09) 422 0812
The Bohemian Museum
Art in the Park and Slow Water Studio
For general information see Puhoi NZ link below.

Activities
Within easy reach is Warkworth, well worth an hour or two, and Matakana with the farmers' market on Saturday, vineyards and the Morris and James pottery.

There is a wonderful selection of regional parks with great walks and beaches, including Tawharanui, Wenderholm, Scandrett and Mahurangi.

Only 30 minutes in the other direction is the wild west coast with the vineyards of Kumeu en route and the Bees Online honey centre and cafe.

* John Gardner was a guest of The Ridge Luxury Country Lodge, 147 Greenhollows Road, Puhoi.