Map of Puhoi

The early settlers of Puhoi (slow water) arrived from Bohemia, an area of Austria that is now part of the Czech Republic.

Faced with little prospects in their homeland and fearing for their children’s future, amid worries of civil unrest, 82 men, women and children, decided to change their lives forever.

In 1863, hearing good things about New Zealand from returning Austrian Army captain Martin Krippner, the group decided to head down under. They arrived at Puhoi's river bank on June 29 following a journey lasting 124 days. The rest, as they say, is history.

And while Puhoi makes a great deal of its history - just as a place of this importance should - the quiet village with its beautiful church has a lot to offer both local and international visitors.

In addition to its large traditional pub and Bohemian museum, there are options to go kayaking along the same river that the Bohemians arrived on two centuries ago. And apart from the mode of transport, little has changed. There's no better way to see riverbank wildlife in its natural habitat.

Puhoi is a little place with a big heart and its famous cheese shop with its family-friendly gardens is a joy to behold.