Huia Samuels is a fictional character on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street who was portrayed by Nicola Kawana from early 2005 to late 2006.

Huia arrived in March 2005 to replace Nick Harrison as Business Manager and begin a review of the hospital's departments.

Huia's final storyline saw her breakup with Craig, only to become pregnant after a one-night stand and end up dying after entering a car rigged with an explosive.

Huia arrived to the hospital in early 2005 to replace the departed Nick Harrison (Karl Burnett) as Business Manager.

Craig discovered that Huia had previously been married to Buddy Haanui (Antonio Te Maioha) and their relationship began to sour.

However whilst on a way to a meeting, Huia borrowed Ant Richards' (Michael Morris) car and upon turning on the exhaust, died in a massive explosion that had been rigged underneath.

Producer Jason Daniel decided to have the character killed off in October rather than the December cliffhanger so as that the storylines gain momentum.

[2] A storyline running alongside parallel to Huia's was that of corrupt pharmaceutical company and its annoyance at Ant Richards for stealing the documents.

[2][3] Producers ensured the character of Huia and her cousin, TK Samuels (Benjamin Mitchell), were accurate reflections of Maori culture, with Jason Daniel stating, "It’s important that we show a spectrum.

"[4] Huia was a highly favourable character for fans, with numerous positive comments on messageboards following her death suggesting she was "much-loved".