Walk #191, 5th April 2026

The walk begins to the north of the ferry terminal at Matiatia. The first ten minutes of the walk is along the beach and it’s best to go either side of low tide.

The picturesque views include Rangitoto Island and downtown Auckland. The track passes some of the island’s most expensive houses with their manicured gardens and sculptures. There’s an interesting dog made of timber at Cable Bay.

It’s a slog up a lot of steps at Cable Bay until you get to Delamore Drive. The road has a gate which you pass through and after that a long track downhill track leads back to the ferry terminal at Matiatia.

Walk: Waiheke 50

Links

History of Waiheke Island

Mr. George Graham tells the story of Waiheke Island. The ancient Maori name of Waiheke was Te Motu-arai-roa {the long sheltering island), because it acted as a break-wind or shelter against the open ocean storms and winds of the outer Hauraki Gulf. The name Waiheke (cascade waters) was the name of a creek on the Onetangi (murmuring sands) beach, and formerly a favourite landing place. In pioneering days that became a general name for the island itself.

The earliest inhabitants were the Maruiwi, a people from the Western Pacific, who settled here about 950 A.D. The local tribe of that people were the UriKaraka (descendants of Karaka, a Maruiwi ancestor). These people are traditionally remembered as expert makers of nets and as fishermen. They fought with the kopere (throwing spear), and fearlessly navigated these waters in frail catamarans or rafts (mokihi) of interlaced flax stalks and raupo leaves. Their sails were of the same materials. They seemed to have been a numerous and industrious people cultivating only the hue or gourd, which they are said to have introduced into this country.

Toi found the Maruiwi very numerous and not too friendly. He at last sailed away and settled at Whakatane, which was his objective. Some of his crew settled down, intermarrying with the Maruiwi. About 1200 A.D. a party of Toi’s people, with their chief, Maeaea, accepted an invitation to a Maruiwi feast at Omaru (near Awaawaroa). There they were murdered, the victims being enmeshed in hand nets and then speared to death, that being the Maruiwi method of attack. Hence the name of that locality is still Te Rore-a-Maeaea (the snaring of Maeaea). This incident led to a punitive campaign against the Maruiwi tribe at Waiheke, who were conquered, a remnant only being spared as wives or as slaves.

The Maruiwi were replaced by the people of Toi, who were replaced by the people of Arawa, who were replaced by the people of Maki. Then came Ngati Whatua, and Ngati-Huarere. The owners of Waiheke, who remained such until European times, were of the tribe of Paoa.

Source: New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19779, 28 October 1927, Page 13