when gold became uneconomic to mine after world war ii, waikino residents lost their economic base and the town reverted into a sleepy little village predominantly inhabited by retirees from the old era. however, the small retail business community in waikino's main street endured till the late 1950s. when tom and nell buchanan finally closed the doors to the local general store and haberdashery and retired up on the hill behind the village, this signalled the end of an era.