1960s New Zealand Waiwera Hibiscus Coast Northland Hot Pools Beach NZ Postcard

Title
1960s New Zealand Waiwera Hibiscus Coast Northland Hot Pools Beach NZ Postcard

Front
A colour daylight elevated panorama of the seaside resort settlement of Waiwera, photographed from the highway lookout above the valley. The view is framed on both the left and right edges by the dark overhanging foliage of pohutukawa branches and the spiky fronds of cabbage trees, silhouetted against the brighter scene beyond.

In the lower foreground lie the resort grounds. A large rectangular swimming pool of pale turquoise water occupies the centre left, with numerous small figures of bathers in and around it, surrounded by paved surrounds, terraced retaining walls, lawns and flower beds. A second smaller pool lies just below it, and further landscaping, changing sheds and stonework spread across the slope. At the far lower left stands a long building with a bright orange-red tiled roof and white walls, with additional outbuildings behind it. To the right of the pools stands a long low modern accommodation block, a single-storey motel-style building with a flat white roof, dark lower walls and a continuous row of windows and doors along its length, set beside a paved court and further flat-roofed service buildings, with a white cottage at the right edge. Broad mown lawns with scattered young trees, a flagpole and picnic areas fill the lower right.

Behind the resort a sealed road and car park run across the picture, with a row of parked motor cars of 1950s and 1960s rounded saloon type. Beyond this the small township spreads across the flat valley floor: rows of modest single-storey timber and fibrolite holiday cottages and baches with red, green, blue and white roofs, some brightly painted, set among lawns, hedges and scattered trees. A larger red-roofed building stands near the centre and further houses continue toward the shoreline.

Beyond the settlement lies the beach and estuary, a broad sweep of pale sand with the tidal river mouth curving across it, and gentle white surf breaking along the shore at the right. The sea extends to the right edge in bands of blue and green. Dominating the background is a large steep headland entirely covered in dense dark native bush, its rounded ridgeline descending to a bluff at the water’s edge. Above, the sky is pale blue with soft white cloud. The card has a white border and a semi-matt screened photographic surface.

Back
Printed in green ink at upper left:

“WAIWERA, HIBISCUS COAST, NORTHLAND, N.Z. Framed by Pohutukawa and Cabbage trees this view from the highway rest area gives a panorama of one of the most fascinating bays on the Hibiscus Coast. Featuring modern swimming pools supplied by natural hot thermal springs, a Tourist Hotel, restaurants and tearooms and a safe and sheltered beach—it is the mecca for thousands of day visitors throughout the year.”

Printed in green script across the lower centre:

“Colourchrome Series”

Printed in green at lower left:

“PHOTOGRAPHY: GLADYS M. GOODALL.”

Printed in green at lower centre:

“W.T. 284”

Printed in green at lower right:

“PRINTED BY WHITCOMBE AND TOMBS LTD.
FOR THE FELICITY CARD CO. LTD.”

The remainder of the reverse is unprinted white stock with no divided-back ruling, stamp box or correspondence lines. There is no stamp, postmark, address or handwritten sender’s message; the card is unused and unposted. Light corner toning and minor edge wear are present.

Estimated Era
Circa 1960s. The Colourchrome Series produced by Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd. for the Felicity Card Co. Ltd. from Gladys M. Goodall photography belongs to the post-war chrome era, and the low W.T. 284 serial number places this card early within that series, suggesting the earlier part of the 1960s. The continental-format card with white border and screened colour process is consistent with printing from about 1960 onward. The parked motor cars, all of late 1950s and early 1960s rounded British and Australian styling, support this dating, as does the modest scale of the thermal pool complex and the motel block, which predate the large-scale redevelopment of the Waiwera hot pools later in the century. The promotional use of the name Hibiscus Coast, adopted for the district in the post-war tourism era, is also consistent with a 1960s issue.