Pukeora Lookout
Pukeora Hill is a landmark in Central Hawke’s Bay, standing tall at the southern entrance to Waipukurau, overlooking the Tuki Tuki river and beautiful Central Hawke’s Bay countryside below.
There are several buildings which sit at the top of the hill to make up what is now known as Pukeora Estate, an events venue with accommodation, winery and vineyard.
To locals it’s just ‘Pukeora’.
Pukeora was originally built in 1918 as a hospital for soldiers returning home from World War 1 with respiratory illnesses such as Tuberculosis. The hospital was built at the top of the hill with large verandahs as it was thought fresh air was a cure for tuberculosis.
After a few years, the hospital started treating members of the public with tuberculosis and in 1958 the hospital was redeveloped as a home for the disabled and physically handicapped. It housed up to eighty residents, some who lived there for twenty years or more.
In 2000 the Estate was sold and reopened as a private venue ‘Pukeora Estate’, with vines planted on the hills below and some of the buildings opened for accommodation and events.
Pukeora Hill is an icon of Central Hawke’s Bay with expansive views of Waipukurau and Waipawa, river and surrounding farmland and across to the Ruahine Ranges.
It’s a great spot for photographers and selfies, with visitors capturing the wonderful Central Hawke’s Bay landscape and locals showcasing their home town.
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