Opononi Lighthouse Motel welcomes you to Opononi.
Located at the entrance to the Hokianga Harbour, Opononi had a summer in the world’s headlines in 1955–1956, when a friendly dolphin befriended the locals. Nicknamed Opo, the dolphin delighted visitors by taking children on its back, and tossing rubber balls and beer bottles in the air. Opo’s grave is near a sculpture by Russell Clark outside the Opononi Pub.
Not far from the motel you can see one of the Hokianga’s grandest surviving dwellings. The homestead of pioneer John Webster (1870) was once the centre of social life on the harbour, and the cannon outside was retrieved from a ship wrecked on the Hokianga bar.
Author Frederick Maning’s homestead can be seen on the point at Onoke, together with the first Maori land court, while nearby stands a memorial to the great Polynesian navigator, Kupe.
Rich in history, Opononi is a beautiful spot to get away from it all and relax in the beautiful Hokianga region.
Though just a short walk from the heart of Opononi, our very own Opononi motel is a quiet and private retreat.