The house on the highway hill: Poukawa’s landmark SH2 house damaged by fire – but still standing

Barely standing after the fire, the once-beloved landmark is now a fragile shadow of what it used to be.

For 95 years, the small house on the hill beside State Highway 2 at Poukawa has stood as a silent beacon for motorists.

Yet last month, an unknown arsonist started a fire that further crippled the home’s already aching bones.

Abandoned since the late 1960s, it has withstood decades of sun and storms.

Harvey Karaitiana stands outside the fence, looking at what remains of the home that shaped his childhood.

A resident who lives nearby said he was awake when he noticed flames rising from the old house.

The incident was not isolated.

Police told Hawke’s Bay Today there’s an investigation under way into the three fires in the Poukawa area on February 23.

“Initial inquiries have determined that these are suspicious. The three fires were on Te Mahanga Rd, the Pekapeka Wetland and State Highway 2 near Poukawa Rd, between 3am and 3.30am,” they said.

On social media, the community has reacted with frustration, with some calling for better protection of a site that carries so many stories.

Built in the 1930s, the iconic house, a few kilometres south of Hastings, was once home to Harvey Karaitiana’s family.

“I often wonder how our parents fed us and fitted us in that little two-bedroom house, all 12 of us,” Karaitiana said.

He told Hawke’s Bay Today the house didn’t have much furniture and there were no beds, so everyone slept on the floor, “marae-style”.

“It was quite comfortable and soft though, so there were probably mattresses,” he said.

The house had no electricity when he and his family moved in during the 1940s.

Karaitiana in one of his many visits to the house in 2005.

One of his strongest memories is of Christmas socks filled with toys hanging from their fireplace.

The fireplace is one of the few things still standing in the charred remains of the home.

Karaitiana lived there from the age of 5 to 10 before the family moved to Rotorua about 1952.

In 2015, they held a family reunion at the site, reconnecting with their roots and passing on stories to younger generations.

Karaitiana's family reunion at the iconic Poukawa house in 2015.

Now, at 86, he visited the house again on Saturday, “shocked” by what he saw.

“For me, it’s the end of an era, where we grew up, where we believe formed part of what we are today.”

His daughter, Donna Karaitiana, who was also with him during the latest visit, said the house was built from native timber, one of the reasons for its endurance.

“That’s why it’s still standing despite everything,” she said.

“It’s quite sad, but it still stands.”

Before leaving, she picked up a piece of brick from the fireplace, lying away from the house.

“I thought ‘Oh! This must be for me’. So, I brought it home.”

From previous visits, her brother had also taken some timber from the house and repurposed it into their father’s home, a handrail by the steps.

“I think I’ve got the last bit before it goes down,” she said.