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| | XTRAMSN: Te Puke - Kiwifruit Capital Of New Zealand |
 | | Te Arawa, one of the original canoes which sailed from Hawaiki to a young New Zealand, supposedly landed at Maketu beach - a short distance from where the town would one day stand. |
 | | At this time there were no paths forged between Te Puke and Tauranga, and a journey between the two settlements involved a trip by boat, a rugged walk around the coast or via swampland. |
 | | In 1904 the first 'Chinese gooseberry' seeds were planted in Te Puke soil, and the combination of the region's sun and fertile dark soil soon turned kiwifruit into one of the country's major exports. |
| xtramsn.co.nz /news/0,,12078-5401731-43_12728_true,00.html (466 words) |
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