Te Ahua Point, Piha, Auckland

Walk #192 8th April 2026

The lookout is situated between Karekare and Piha beaches. The views weren’t great, we couldn’t see Lion Rock because cyclone Vaianu was on its way from Fiji.

We didn’t realise at first we were walking on a pa site related to the ancient Turehu. The inhabitants of this ancient pa lived on the cliffs either from fear of people or fear of a tsunami.

The full name of Te Ahua Point is ‘Te Ahua O Hinerangi.’ Hinerangi was a Turehu ancestress. A pou (carved pole) dedicated to a descendant of the same name looks out toward the Tasman Sea. This Hinerangi died of a broken heart after losing her husband to a rogue wave while fishing on the rocks at Piha.

The info board maintains the site was one of those chosen by the ancestors of Te Kawau a Maki who lived here for its position and proximity to Hikurangi. Hikurangi was the name given to the main mountainous range that formed part of Te Wao nui a Tiwa, the great forest of Tiriwa. Tiriwa was the chief of the Waitakere Turehu.

The ancestors of Te Kawau a Maki are the Turehu, a pre-Maori people. Their hair colours ranged from white and dull-golden, with red being predominant in the general population. There were also shades of brown through to black. Braided samples of this multi-coloured hair (taken from the Waitakere rock shelters) used to be on display at Auckland War Memorial Museum and were written about by Maori Historian, Sir Peter Buck.

There is more about the Turehu here, under the heading ‘Waitakere Turehu, Auckland‘ …

The Pre Waka Peoples, Patupaiarehe and Turehu

There is a radar station at the site. In 1948 two pioneering radio astronomers determined for the first time the source of radio waves from outside the solar system. The radio signals were identified as coming from three stars, Taurus-A, Centaurus-A and Virgo-A. Taurus-A is the remnant of the famous Crab Nebula, a super nova in the constellation of Taurus which exploded in 1054 AD.

Walk: Auckland 21

Links

Clues about the ancient inhabitants of Te Ahua Pa

Te Kawerau

About 15 years before Captain James Cook arrived, Ngati Whatua took over the Tamaki isthmus by warfare (note: Maori land ownership kept changing as tribes grew stronger) and yet even then, the Kawerau in the Waitakere’s were still recognised as the iwi whenua of the Waitakere when others such as the Maruiwi and Waiohua became extinct or absorbed into Ngati-Whatua, (In effect, they became the same as Maori absorbed into European bloodlines today – if you think about it!). The remnants of the Kawerau lived in Mahurangi and Omaha after these times. Source: The Kawerau

“Te Kawerau ā Maki are a West Auckland-based iwi. Our origins arise through whakapapa to the first human inhabitants of the land – the Tūrehu, and descent from the early migratory people to settle the region, such as the Tini ō Maruiwi and Te Tini ō Toi, to the arrival of the Tainui, Aotea, Moekakara, Tokomaru, Kahuitara, and Kurahaupo canoes in the 14th century, and the Ngati Awa, Ngāoho, and Ngāiwi people who occupied the wider area prior to 1600.” Source: Te Kawerau a Maki

Matiatia Historic Reserve, Waiheke Island

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

Waiheke Island: Stony Batter

Walk #190, 4th April 2026

Stony Batter is at the end of Man O’War Bay road. It’s an impressive remnant of New Zealand’s coastal defense system. While very little remains above ground, the rooms and tunnels below ground are really well preserved.

The walk along the gravel road past farmland and grape vines gives sweeping views of the Hauraki Gulf out to the Coromandel peninsula.

The area takes its name from distinctive rock formations that are the remnants of two ancient volcanos.

There is a charge to enter the batter, in order to maintain the site. The historic site was built in 1942 and finished after the war. It’s managed by the archaeologist leasing it.

Walk: Waiheke 48

Links

Stoney Batter Tunnels: Explore the Underworld

Waiheke Island: Stony Batter Tunnels

Waiheke Island: Whakanewha Regional Park

Walk #189 3rd April 2026

A walk through a rare patch of bush on the southern coast of Waiheke Island. Although Waiheke Island is the Hauraki Gulf’s second biggest island, it’s been intensively farmed and very little bush remains. The forest on this walk consisted mainly of punga, kohekohe and taraire trees. I didn’t see any kauri trees.

The walk was ho-hum and not well sign-posted.

The best forests on Waiheke Island are on private land. We carried on to the Man O’War Forest Zip-line where we got to walk and fly through big stands of kauri. I recommend the experience.

I give the walk a low rating because of the lack of signage. It was supposed to be ‘the School Loop Track’ but I couldn’t find it.

Walk: Waiheke 49

Murphy’s Bush, Auckland

Walk #188, 1st April 2026

Murphy’s Bush in the Auckland suburb of Flatbush at 26 hectares is the largest remaining lowland bush remnant in Auckland. The forest used to have fields all around it until a population the size of my city got jammed into the area.

The reserve is now an oasis in a featureless desert of high density housing. It would be interesting to see who stayed after the bulldozers razed the original houses. Apart from the bush and the old Flatbush School Hall, the area has been completely transformed, in accordance with the neo-liberal “new Auckland plan.” The culture and character of the original community has been lost.

I am glad Murphys Bush is protected. The forest was preserved and gifted to the Manukau City Council in 1981 by the Murphy family. The reserve is divided by a road, most is on the left of Murphy’s Road. It’s a haven for birds and for people who want a quiet place to walk.

What I did notice in this tiny bush remnant was the bird noise. We could hear the native birds, unlike the silent forests managed by DOC. Unlike other countries, DOC uses cruel 1080 poison for pest control, killing the birds along with the predators. We’ve noted the difference on our walks.

Walk: Auckland 42

Links

Wikipedia – Murphy’s Bush

As one of Auckland’s newest housing areas, Flat Bush complies with the aims of the new Auckland Plan which calls for more medium and high density housing. As a result, the area is taking on an “exciting but very different look” from the traditional quarter acre pavlova paradise of old New Zealand.
East Auckland Tourism

Stancombe Cottage
The small heritage cottage was moved from its site next to the Buddhist temple on Stancombe Road in 2011 and restored by Howick Local Board for community use.
Stancombe Cottage

2016
“A concrete carpet is being rolled over the former paddocks of Flat Bush, in Auckland’s south east.
The city has spread to make room for its growing population and as newcomers – many from China and India – moved to Flat Bush en mass, original dwellers have had to adapt or abscond.
Most lifestyle blocks on its urban fringe have already been snapped up by local and Chinese property developers, who have granted temporary leases to residents before bulldozers take over.”
Stuff: Flat Bush: Auckland’s big new town
In the article one of the original residents, an elderly man named Elton asked neighbours to help with the search for his dog Sophie, “but not one of them spoke English.”

Long Bay Regional Park, Auckland

Walk #172, 21st September 2025

This seaside reserve, half an hour from Auckland includes a kilometre-long sandy beach and a coastal marine reserve. Green hillsides provide a buffer from the neighbouring suburbs and pohutukawas flank the beach along the length of the bay.

The parkland continues north of the beach for about two kilometres before turning inland along the Okura river.

Vaughan homestead, the original farm homestead has been restored and is open for visitors.

Walk: Auckland 4

Related walk: Okura Bush and Dacre Cottage

Links

Long Bay Regional Park

Muriwai Lookout and Gannet Colony

Walk 5th Dec 2010

While it’s winter time I’m posting some walks we did years ago, this is one of them. It was a lovely summers day with a warm wind blowing when we crossed the coast to Muriwai from our place at Snells Beach. It was an easy walk and we were able to see the gannets up close.

There used to be two pa at Otakamiro Point where the gannets now are. There’s a seal colony at Oaia just off shore. The gannets began establishing nesting sites on Oaia, then in 1975 on they moved to Motutara Island, and from there they settled on Otakamiro Point, one of only two mainland nesting sites in NZ.

The white fronted terns occupied Motutara Island. Then came the gannets. The gannet invasion of Motutara Island caused the white fronted terns which formerly nested there to shift down to the small crevasses on the sheer cliffs.

To really top the walk off there was a sea cave on the beach. All in all it was a cracker day.

Walk: Auckland 11

Related walk:
Te Ahua Point, Piha

History

The earliest known chief associated with the Motutara area was a renowned rangitira or chieftain known as Takamiro. He, like his famous contemporary Tiriwa, lived at a number of places between Motutara and Whatipu, although he generally occupied the headland that dominates Muriwai Regional Park. This landmark, and the pa which was constructed on it, are still referred to as ‘O-Takamiro’ or ‘the dwelling place of Takamiro.’

Both Tiriwa and Takamiro were Turehu leaders credited in tradition with great spiritual power, and with the ability to modify the landscape.

Korekore Pa near Muriwai Beach

According to local tradition the area was subsequently settled by the ‘Tini o Maruiwi’ or the people of the Kahuitara canoe who migrated north from the Taranaki coastline. Some of this iwi settled on the coastline between the Manukau and Kaipara harbours where they intermarried with the Turehu people.

Ngati Te Kahupara, a sub tribe of both Te Kawerau a Maki and Ngati Whatua descent, lived at Korekore pa until the 1700s. The pa was abandoned before the coming of the European.

J.T. Diamond writes,

“The largest of the pa on the west coast is at Muriwai and is known as Korekore or Oneonenui and locally as Whare-kura. This pa has been fully described by Firth while Best also makes reference to it in his monograph on the Pa Maori.

This conspicuous headland pa jutting out into the sand dunes about 2½ miles to the north of Motutara was until 1938 one of the best preserved of pa sites. Its covering of pohutukawa and puriri trees has however been since removed and the whole area grassed. To prevent cattle and sheep being trapped, many of an extensive series of subterranean storage chambers have been blocked up, while the huge defensive earthwork 60 feet across and 27 feet deep has been partially infilled to provide tractor access to the western section of the pa.

The carvings on the side of the large storage pit situated on the ridge running south-west from the main pa are still in a good state of preservation, as are house sites and storage pits in this area in general. But much of interest on the main pa site has been obliterated. There was a kumera pit 28 x 21 x 7 foot deep.”

Source: Maori in the Waitakere Ranges, by J.T. Diamond, p 304-314/p1

Korekore Pa site, Muriwai

View from quarry over dunes to Korekore Pa

from collection J.T. Diamond

Links

The pillar and carvings of Korekore Pa

Waikowhai Park

Walk #138, 29th Sept 2024

Waikowhai Park is at the middle of the 10km Waikowhai Walkway, which follows the northern shore of the Manukau harbour, from Lynfield Cove (to the west) to the Onehunga Foreshore (east). The entire walk can be done in either direction in around five hours or in stroll-sized bits in four loops.

Ambury Park lies across Waikowhai Bay with Mangere Mountain in the background.

The narrowest point of land between the Manukau and Waitemata harbours is the isthmus at Otahuhu, called the Otahuhu portage. It was only 1km long and it’s where the Maori dragged their canoes (waka) across the Tamaki isthmus.

Walk: Auckland 35

Te Auaunga Oakley Creek Walkway

Walk #137, 29th Sept 2024

This track leads to a beautiful little waterfall in urban Mount Albert. Unfortunately the path is still damaged from the double-whammy of Cyclones Hale in January 2023 and Gabriel in February 2023. We walked with friends who knew the place. Even so there was a tricky creek crossing near a washed-out bridge.

Our walk started at Phyllis Reserve and ended at Unitec.

Disappointingly some of the signs are vandalized making it difficult to learn about this hidden treasure. What I can make out from the sign about the trees is this; they’re a mix of native and exotic. The older, exotic trees are treated as part of the heritage of the creek and are only removed when they die or become a danger to the public.

The oak trees date from the period of farming on the land above the bank and being deciduous allow sunshine through the winter months.

The land on the eastern side of the creek belonged to the Auckland Lunatic Asylum. In 1973, 10.4 hectares of the Asylum farm was designated as the site for a technical institute. In 1993 the old Asylum building was sold to Carrington Polytechnic which became Unitec. The Mason Clinic, a mental health facility, is further down the creek.

The reserve is a habitat for our native copper skinks which are endemic to the North Island.

Before the start of the Waterview Connection, 204 native copper skinks were relocated from seven sites along the path of the roadworks. Monitoring conducted since the relocation has shown a healthy population of copper skinks surviving here.

Mahi Whenua Sanctuary Gardens

Just above the reserve is a thriving community garden. The site is home to more than 400 species of plants. It has been gardened for well over 100 years by Maori, Carrington Mental Hospital and Unitec staff and students.

In 2018 the community garden was saved and integrated as a valuable community green space into the Wairaka Precinct development.

Walk: Auckland 27

Wairaka Spring

Unitec has a spring which is a waahi tapu, a historic site associated with Wairaka of the Mataatua canoe dated all the way back to 950 AD. Which is interesting given that most signs showing the arrival of Polynesians to NZ earlier than 1350 AD have disappeared.

Honour the Maunga: The history of Wairaka

Related page about the changing of the signs:

When was New Zealand first settled?

Links

Non-native trees have been removed from nearby Mount Albert, much to the dismay of the local people, both Maori and Pakeha: Māori world view important in Ōwairaka tree debate

Who is this Tupuna Maunga Authority? They want to chop down non-native trees and change place place names.

Tūpuna Maunga Authority plans to delete Wairaka from history, historian says

Milford Beach to Takapuna

Walk #136, 21st Sept 2024

This was the first real day of spring after NZ and Australia experienced a polar blast from a storm in Antartica. It was a good afternoon for the walk between Milford and Takapuna with lots of people and dogs enjoying the beach.

We started on the sand at Milford Beach and further on we hopped onto a raised footpath which we followed around to Thornes Beach. After that we had to do a bit of rock hopping. The walk ended at the Takapuna Boat ramp.

Sections of this walk traverse private property, owners have allowed this. See the link below for information from the Auckland City Council.

It’s an interesting area geologically. There are petrified logs along the beach from the eruption of the Pupuke volcano 140,000 years ago.

On our way back we walked past Lake Pupuke, Auckland’s only remaining freshwater crater. The lake is only 200m from the sea.

Walk: Auckland 7

Lake Pupuke from the air, photo by Marianna Haworth

History

In the Maori tradition of the Auckland Mahurangi and Gulf Islands Districts the earliest people was “a race of giants”, known as Tipua, or Kahui Tipua, who occupied both sides of Tamaki Isthmus, at Mangere, Waitakere, and the North Shore of the Waitemata.

Mataaho, a deity associated with volcanoes, unleashed his powers, causing the home of the
Tipua to sink into a chasm, which filled with water forming what is now known as Lake Pupuke. At the same time, the island of Rangitoto emerged from the sea offshore.

The Tipua fled, but Mahuika, a goddess with “fingers of fire” pursued them and cast them into subterranean regions. The places where they sank are the volcanic craters on the shores of Shoal Bay called respectively Te Kapua-o-Matakamokamo at Awataha, and Te Kapua-o-Matakerepo near Northcote.

The Maewao, Patupaiarehe people

“Onemaewao”, the traditional name for Milford Beach on the mainland shore opposite Rangitoto commemorates the Maewao, who, according to George Graham, were a group of fairies who used to gather shellfish there, but later perished when “caught in the sunlight.” Local traditions state that the Patupaiarehe people occupied the Gulf Islands including Hauturu and Motutapu and travelled around the islands of the inner Hauraki Gulf between sunset and sunrise in their canoe Te Rehu o te Tai.

The “Traditional History Overview of the Mahurangi and Gulf Islands Districts”
Document Wai 1040 #A036

Links

Auckland City Council: Milford to Takapuna Walk

The Kahui Tipua: Wi Pokuku, a Ngai Tahu leader and teacher at the Moeraki Whare Wananga said Te Kahui Tipua (a race of giants) and Te Kahui Roko were brought to NZ with the Waitaha. That the Kahui Tipua came out with the Waitaha is also maintained by the South Island Wairewa tribe.