Huntly (Māori: Rahui-Pōkeka) (population 8,850[2]) is a town in the Waikato district and region of the North Island of New Zealand.

It is situated on the North Island Main Trunk (NIMT) railway (served by Te Huia since 6 April 2021 at a rebuilt Raahui Pookeka-Huntly Station)[4] and straddles the Waikato River.

It was moved to its present site in 1974 to make way for the building of Huntly Power Station.

At the 2018 New Zealand census, Huntly had smaller boundaries, covering 14.56 km2 (5.62 sq mi).

Except for population, the 2006 and 2013 figures below are for the larger areas) – The proportion of people born overseas was 12.3%, compared with 27.1% nationally.

Before the 2023 census, Huntly Rural had a larger boundary, covering 353.23 km2 (136.38 sq mi).

[25] Huntly is also surrounded by farmland and lakes (many of them former open-pit mines) which are used for coarse fishing, yachting and waterskiing.

[citation needed] The Waikato coalfield is formed of 30 -35m year old Eocene-Oligocene rocks.

[40] On 12 September 1914 at the Ralph Mine in Huntly, a naked light caused an explosion that killed 43 coal miners.

[44] Solid Energy closed this Huntly mine on 22 October 2015,[48] saying it was losing $500,000 a month.

Coal was mined by remote-controlled continuous miners and taken to the entrance in shuttle cars and then by conveyor belt.

Taniwharau also won the inaugural Waicoa Bay championship in 2002 and again in 2007 a year in which they went through the season unbeaten; a feat that has never been achieved before at the Waikato premier level.

A number of New Zealand players have come out of Huntly including pre war players Tom Timms, Richard Trautvetter and Len Mason who also, after the 1926 Kiwi tour of Great Britain finished his playing career at Wigan, playing a record 365 games in 9 years including a winning Challenge Cup final at Wembley in 1929.

Post war players include Albert Hambleton, Reg Cooke, Graeme Farrar, Roger Tait, Ted Baker, Paul Ravlich, Tawera Nikau (Rangiriri) and, more recently, Wairangi Koopu (Taniwharau) and Lance Hohaia (Taniwharau).

Other Kiwi players to come out of Huntly include Andy Berryman, Don Parkinson, Rick Muru, Kevin Fisher and Vaun O'Callaghan.

[56] The town has also produced numerous NZ Māori Rugby league representatives and two international referees; Arthur Harlock and Roland (Roly) Avery.

[61] Tainui Bridge was strengthened in 2005[60] to allow 500 tonne turbines[62] to be carried to the Power Station,[63] work which gained an award.

A footbridge across Shand Lane, the 1978 SH1 bypass[66] and NIMT links Glasgow St with Main St.[67] The 14-tonne central span was raised from 4.8 to 5.25m in 2010 to provide clearance for Te Uku construction trucks.

It was also closed twice in 2015, firstly for repainting,[68] then again when the arm of an excavator on a truck hit the bridge,[69] requiring also temporary closure of SH1.

[73] Huntly College is a state secondary school covering years 9 to 13,[74] with a roll of 181.