Walk #77, Patea River, South Taranaki, 2nd Jan 2022
The walk begins on the bank of the Patea River opposite the derelict freezing works. It’s not the most beautiful walk we’ve been on but it is rich in history. The walk ends at Mana Bay where the ruins of the wharf and breakwater form a good surf spot.
Walk: Taranaki 15
Links / Notes
The Meat Industry : The Patea Freezing works closed in the early 1980’s after constant strike action. I lived in nearby Wanganui and watched it happen.
Wai O Turi, these are the three tribes mentioned on the sign :-
Ngā Rauru : The traditional lands of the south Taranaki tribe Ngā Rauru Kītahi extend between the Wanganui and Pātea rivers. Ngā Rauru descend from an early tribe called Te Kāhui Rere (the flying people), who lived around Waitōtara.
Members of Te Kāhui Rere intermarried with the people who arrived in south Taranaki aboard the Aotea canoe.
Ngā Rauru take their name from the ancestor Rauru Kītahi. Rauru was a grandson of the early Polynesian explorer Toitehuatahi who in some traditions comes from Hawaiki, while in others he is indigenous to New Zealand.
These early people came from the East Coast of the North Island; travelling by sea, they landed at Pātea and Waitōtara.
Ngati Ruanui : The Ngati Ruanui descend from Rangiātea, about 200 kilometres from Tahiti. Their ancestor Turi came from there about 30 generations ago.
Te Pakakohi : Early Maori
An ancient race of people living at Patea
A people named Te Kahui-toka were found living at Patea when Turi, captain of the ‘Aotea’ arrived there.” Note again the word kahui as a name for a tribe. Their names were:—Tokanui, Tokaroa, Toka-whareroa, Toka-kahura and Toka-potiki, probably all brethren.
Note:- Tokoroa was a chief of the Ngati Kahupungapunga people, a tribe that was a division of Ruatamore.
Taikehu was the chief of the tribe living at Patea Heads when the Aotea arrived. The Patea river was named ‘Te Awa nui a Taikehu,’ – the big river of Taikehu.
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