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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

The Kaike

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The Kaike.

The Kaike, or Onuku, as it is sometimes and perhaps more correctly called, is situated on the Akaroa harbour, between the entrance and the town of Akaroa, which is about three miles distant. It is an old Maori settlement with traces of Maori habitation still remaining; indeed, there are a few natives still residing in the district, and a reserve of 400 acres has been set apart for their use. The scenery in and around The Kaike is similar to that in other parts of the Peninsula, only perhaps even more romantic; the hills in places reaching down almost to the water's edge, and leaving room for little level country. It is a farming district, contains about half a dozen homesteads, and is devoted to dairyfarming, grass seed growing and sheep grazing. The Kaike has a public school, but the attendance is small, and there is no post office in the district.

Wilkin, Joseph Alexander, Farmer, The Kaike, Akaroa. Mr. Wilkin was born in Norway, in 1832, and is a son of Mr. Joseph Wilkin, an engineer of Bergen. He was educated at a private school, and at an early age joined a whaling expedition to the Arotic Ocean. Mr. Wilkin remained on the Northern Seas until 1856, when he sailed in the ship “Westminster” for Lyttolton. In 1858, he made a voyage to the Baltic, and for eighteen months following his return to New Zealand he was engaged in trading along the coast of the colony. Mr. Wilkin first acquired property at The Kaike, in 1860, but subsequently disposed of it, and bought his present farm of sixty acres, which overlooks the entrance to the Akaroa harbour. He carries on dairying on a large scale, and, in spite of his age, he is a most enthusiastic farmer. In earlier years he took considerable interest in educational matters, and was, for some time, a member of the local school committee. Mr. Wilkin was married to Miss Elizabeth Campbell, of Akaroa, and has eleven sons and three daughters.