Hari Hari

Hari Hari is a small rural settlement in the south west of the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island. The name has a Maori meaning, from Te Aka Maori/English Dictionary, as "to take/carry joy" or, as local legend suggests, "come together in unison" from a Maori canoe paddling chant/song. In recent years, Hari Hari has been increasingly referred to as "Harihari" with Maori meaning as "ambulance". No official statutory process has taken place in order for this to happen.

It is slightly inland from the Tasman Sea and the Saltwater Lagoon and is situated between the Wanganui and Poerua Rivers, 45 minutes south of the tourist town of Hokitika. State Highway 6 passes through the town on its route from Ross to the Franz Josef Glacier. The Westland District's largest town, Greymouth is 110 kilometres (68 mi), and Hokitika 70 km (43 mi) to the north-east. Ross is 46 km (29 mi) to the north-east, and Franz Josef is 32 km south west.

The population of Hari Hari and its surrounds was 348 in the 2006 Census, unchanged from 2001.

Hari Hari was once a logging settlement and relics of a bush tramway that used to carry timber can be found in the area. Today, the forest in the area is protected and popular activities in the Hari Hari area include bushwalking, birdwatching, and trout and salmon fishing.

The Inter-Wanganui Co-op opened a dairy factory at Hari Hari in 1908, but it is now a ruin.

Hari Hari's main claim to fame occurred on 7 January 1931, when Australian aviator Guy Menzies landed upside down in a swamp near Hari Hari, completing the first solo flight across the Tasman Sea. Menzies, who had left Sydney 11 hours and 45 minutes earlier, was aiming for Blenheim but had been blown off course and mistook a swamp for flat pasture suitable for landing. Despite the accident, he was unharmed. On 7 January 2006, the 75th anniversary celebrations of the feat were held in Hari Hari, with roughly 400 people in attendance. To mark the occasion, Dick Smith recreated Guy Menzies' flight, though Smith chose to land upright in Hari Hari.