the 1970s heralded an influx of new people to waikino, drawn by cheap housing and magnificent scenery. the counterculture had arrived in town and set about transforming waikino into a bustling centre for hippies and crafts people to gravitate towards. these counterculture folks purchased many of the old houses in the village which had been neglected over time, even converting some of them into small craft workshops and outlets from where they sold their wares locally and around the nation. waikinos main highway retail shops were back in business.