Pahia

Pahia is a small rural locality in coastal Southland, New Zealand, not to be confused with the North Island tourist resort of Paihia. Surrounding areas include Ruahine, Wakapatu, Round Hill, Colac Bay and Orepuki. The main road, Orepuki-Riverton Hwy (section of New Zealand State Highway 99), runs through it. Pahia is 15 minutes from Riverton, 20 minutes from Tuatapere and 45 minutes from Invercargill. During the early years of European contact with New Zealand, Pahia was home to a substantial Māori village and island pā (fortified stronghold) near Cosy Nook (known locally as the "Old Pā"). The village served as an important contact point for European sealers and traders requiring potatoes and flax for the Australian market in the 1820s....