Pōkeno is a small town in the Waikato District of the Waikato region in New Zealand, 53 km southeast of Auckland, 9 km from Tuakau and …Pōkeno is a small town in the Waikato District of the Waikato region in New Zealand, 53 km southeast of Auckland, 9 km from Tuakau and 5 km from Mercer. State Highway 1 originally ran through the town, but the upgrading of the highway in 1992 to expressway standards mean that the town has been bypassed.