Located at the foot of the Coromandel Peninsula, Paeroa is a small town in Waikato with vibrant residents . This town is also located in the heart of the Hauraki Rail Trail which is used for cycling activities. It is known for having the best soft drink in New Zealand, the L&P Lemon and Paeroa. On the street of the Eastern end, there is a landmark which is a huge L&P bottle. The mineral springs in this town made it a hunting ground for mineral ores. When Gold was discovered in 1891, many explorers came in with big ships and large shipping containers. The yields were heavy in the beginning but started to deplete until the early 1930s where the ore was exhausted. As a result, it became a very busy distribution centre. Many transportation companies established base in Paeroa to get a piece of this national cake.
Gradually, a busy freight business flourished into a thriving industry with significant number of ships regularly docking at Paeroa. Shipping containers in Paeroa were moved to and from Auckland. However, with the depletion of the mineral springs and the emergence of steam ships& roads, the shipping business went down 100 years later. This was caused by the uneconomic times faced in 1947.
Currently, the freight industry in Paeroa has grown significantly serving the neighbouring communities and the nation of New Zealand. Transport companies transport palletised products, timber, trusses inside the 20 ft, 40 ft and 45 ft shipping containers. Education and experience have not been left to chance as many companies are always training their employees.
Shipping containers in Paeroa are extensively used for storage of both personal and office items. Many companies are investing in shipping containers to reduce the cost of paying for more office space to store files and documents.
Transport solutions for moving bulk goods via shipping containers are available in Paeroa. The services range from tank shipping containers to general purpose containers. The transport companies have also been able to penetrate the rural areas and provide on-farm solutions for their needs. The various pallet wide shipping containers can accommodate hundreds of pallets.
Shipping containers for sale or hire are also available in Paeroa. The container traders sell them in 10, 20 and 40 ft shipping containers. These containers can have:
· Slider doors
· Roller doors
· Office blocks
· Flat racks
They are used to convert the shipping containers into kitchens, bathrooms and makeshift cafes and offices. Other businesses that are gradually adapting to the container conversion concept include the restaurant, start-ups, farm machinery sellers, storage companies and much more.
Judging from the history and overflow of events and festivals, Paeroa township will soon adapt the container home concept. The number of visitors coming in and out the town is rapidly growing and will, therefore, lead to informal settlements. That said, some individuals and businesses are already implementing the concept. Container homes provide a faster and affordable way of living without buying or renting a house.
