the main highway (state highway 2) retail shops which traversed the beautiful ohinemuri river before it plunged into the karangahake gorge had its old shops and lodge hall refurbished and reopened from this influx of young alternative lifestyle people moving in their droves away from the big city chaos. social revolution was in the air, this was the roaring seventies, and for many young people the flow from big city living towards a more country-oriented sustainable lifestyle in rural new zealand was the name of the game. overnight, flourishing cottage industry crafts and health food outlets grew around waikino, servicing the local village and coromandel. once again, the former ghost town, having been closed down for some time, became the focal meeting point of the community. the business strip reinvigorated, people returned to town to do business. hundreds of tourists, drawn by the quirky hippie atmosphere, stopped at waikino's main highway retail outlets every week to try out healthy homemade foods at the tea rooms, and to purchase locally made arts and crafts from the various hippy shops. some stopped to simply chill out taking in the scenic atmosphere, watching the ohinemuri river flow into the breathtaking karangahake gorge.