Papakowhai

Papakowhai is a suburb of Porirua City approximately 22 km north of Wellington in New Zealand. The name "Papakowhai" is of Māori origin, meaning "land covered by kowhai trees". As well as being the name of the suburb it is the name of the main road connecting the suburb to the south. As for most of the other streets in the Papakowhai these are named after Scottish rivers. The first European known to have settled in the area was William Bowler in the early 19th century. In 1882 pioneer business magnate James Gear built his home there. Today Papakowhai hosts a primary school, the Royal New Zealand Police College, Aotea Lagoon public park and the historic Gear Homestead.