6 minute read
A Hotel with History
Hotel Chathams is an integral part of the Chatham Islands community, a place to meet, to catchup on news, and connect with friends and family. But it has also played a central role in the history of the Island, always there, a key player in the incredible story of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most western point.
The first hotel on Chatham Island was opened in the 1860s on land owned by Māori chief Toenga Te Poki. It was known as Mangoutu House, was owned and managed by John and Isabella Alexander, and served visitors from the mainland as well as visiting seafarers eager to be on dry land after the long ocean journeys required to reach Rēkohu, as the Islands were known to Moriori.
In 1868 a particularly notable visitor to the Island also paid a visit to Mangoutu House, though not for the usual reasons of clean sheets and home cooked meals. Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki, Māori leader and founder of the Ringatū religious movement, had been exiled to the Chatham Islands in 1866 after being accused of spying. Te Kooti had been fighting alongside government forces to suppress the Pai Mārire (better known as the Hauhau movement), but his allegiance came into question when he tried to contact his brother, who was fighting on the Hauhau side. He was, bizarrely, exiled to the Chatham Islands together with some of the very same Hauhau that he had been very recently locked in mortal combat with. This came as no setback to Te Kooti however, who had soon married, grown into a respected leader and established himself as a prophet.
The first hotel on Chatham Island was opened in the 1860s
But after two years Te Kooti grew tired of his splendid isolation and on 4 July 1868 he led an escape together with 168 other prisoners, seized the schooner Rifleman, scuttled another vessel, the Florence, so that the alarm could not be raised, and set off back to the North Island. Before departing Te Kooti paid a visit to several homes and also Mangoutu House in search of flour, food and money, but the quickwitted Isabella was more than a match for him, hiding 300 sovereigns in a kettle she had boiling on the stove.
In 1902 Mangoutu House was sold, its name changed to the Mangoutu Hotel, and there began a period of expansion. The building was extended in 1909, and a general store was opened in the extension to sell clothing, saddlery and footwear. In 1927, parts of the original structure were renewed, and this was followed by a complete renovation in 1957 together with another name change, this time to Hotel Chathams - which is as it remains today. The most recent renovations came in 2009 with an upgrade to the guest rooms and an upper floor added.
1902 Mangoutu House was sold, its name changed to the Mangoutu Hotel
Hotel Chathams no longer welcomes salty sea dogs who’ve spent six months in a leaky boat - or indeed exiled prophets - but if you are planning a trip to the Chatham Islands it’s your home away from home. The Hotel offers everything from exclusive seaview suites to single rooms, or you can choose from the historic Traveller’s Rest villa, the Lookout private retreat, the Chatham Rise Motel or the secluded cottage at Admiral Garden. It is also home to the only restaurant on the Island, with - not surprisingly - freshly caught fish being the speciality; the selection does depend on how the catch went, but that is no hardship when you can typically enjoy crayfish, hāpuku, groper, blue cod or paua!
The building was extended in 1909, and a general store was opened in the extension to sell clothing, saddler and footwear
Hotel Chathams no longer welcomes salty sea dogs who’ve spent six months in a leaky boat - or indeed exiled prophets - but if you are planning a trip to the Chatham Islands it’s your home away from home. The Hotel offers everything from exclusive seaview suites to single rooms, or you can choose from the historic Traveller’s Rest villa, the Lookout private retreat, the Chatham Rise Motel or the secluded cottage at Admiral Garden. It is also home to the only restaurant on the Island, with - not surprisingly - freshly caught fish being the speciality; the selection does depend on how the catch went, but that is no hardship when you can typically enjoy crayfish, hāpuku, groper, blue cod or paua!
And just as the Hotel is a central focus for the local community, it is also the place to be for any visitors to the Chatham Islands. It’s not just the place to stay and sample the excellent food, but also a great place to launch your Island adventure from, with a host of tours and events to make the most of your stay. There is the popular Mid-Winter Christmas, Matariki celebrations that combine cooking classes and workshops showcasing Chatham Island produce, tours working on regenerative planting activities, very popular photography tours, dark sky star gazing, a painting retreat and The Concert in the Garden.
So many visitors think of this spectacular part of Aotearoa New Zealand as only being about hunting and fishing, and Hotel Chathams (though it can certainly help you see some tight lines) is where you find out just how wrong this is!
