North Egmont, Taranaki

Walks #165-167, 20th March 2025

There are four short walks around the North Egmont Visitor Centre.

The Nature Walk led on to the Ngatoro Loop Walk, a walk through sub-montane forest called “the Goblin Forest.” The ferns and mosses flourish because of the high rainfall.

Just behind the Visitor Centre is a historic camphouse, which was originally a military barracks during the land wars in the 1860s. It was moved to the site in the 1880s.

After lunch we did the Veronica Loop Track.

Before going uphill we passed the Ambury memorial, a memorial to climber Arthur Ambury who gave his life in 1918 in a heroic attempt to save his climbing partner.

The Veronica Loop track is a well-formed track. It goes up the mountain for half an hour and then there’s a junction for Holly Hut. The return walk via the loop track is harder.

Holly Hut Lookout

At the junction of the Holly Hut track, there’s a lookout ten minutes further up the mountain. We chose not to do it because of the lack of visibility.

There were no birds to be heard on either track, the forests were silent.

The trees are sub-alpine Totara (the red bark) and Kamahi. The trees with spiky fronds are Cabbage trees, the Maori call them ‘Toi.’

Walk: Taranaki 9

History

Te Kāhui Maunga, the ancient people of the mountains

The earliest ancestors of the Taranaki people were Te Kāhui Maunga – the people of the mountains.

Mt Taranaki was named after Rua Taranaki, the first in a line of chiefs.

Te Ara: Taranaki Tribe.

Related Walks

Dawson Falls Walks, Taranaki

Paritutu Rock, New Plymouth

Links

North Egmont Walks

Ambury Monument Walk

NZ Topo Map

Te Namu Pa, Opunake, Taranaki

Walk #114, 2nd January 2024

This historic pa site is located at Opunake. The walk begins at Opunake Cemetery.

Te Namu pa is the site of a battle between Taranaki and Waikato. After the defeat and scattering of the Taranaki tribe at Maru in 1826, a large number of them migrated to Kapiti. But still there were a few left—not more than one hundred and fifty fighting men—and these, on the news of the approach of Waikato, gathered into their fortified pa of Te Namu, and stored it with a plentiful supply of provisions and water. There they held off a force of 800 Waikato.

The principal chief of Taranaki, who was appointed to conduct the operations in defence of the pa, was Wi Kingi Mata-katea. There was only one musket in the pa, and that belonged to him. His aim never failed; a man fell each time he discharged his gun—even if half a mile off —so long as he could see his man, he shot him.

Source: NZETC Siege of Te Namu, June 1833

Mata means eye so Mata-katea’s name probably translates as having a keen or accurate eye.

Although the site has a rich history we felt there was more to learn.

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Petroglyphs

The history of the pa as known to the writer (Griffin) including finding a partly buried stone on which there was a petroglyph. Who knows where that’s gone. There were petroglyphs along the Taranaki coast. The rock was probably marked by the Waitaha or Te Kahui Maunga people.

Source: Erin M. Griffin, Tales of Te Namu and Hori Teira

Opunake

Opunake – Historical notes collection

Patea River

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 :-

Auckland Museum: whale tooth form found at Waitotara.

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.

Source: Tangata Whenua: The ancient inhabitants of Taranaki

Papers Past – the story of Aotea

The Three Sisters, Tongaporutu, Taranaki

Walk 70, 1st August 2021

This is a beautiful walk but you have to time it either side of low-tide. It’s a black sand beach at Tongaporutu, just off SH 3. There are three rocks called “the Three Sisters” and another rock called “Elephant Rock,” which lost it’s trunk in 2016.

There was also a cave with ancient rock petroglyphs, but sadly the cave has been lost to the surf. Note the big foot with six toes.

“They are the last signs of what we know as Te Kahui Potama, which are the ancient people and they were known as the Maeroa,” says Ngati Wai spokesperson Haumoana White. Source: Transparency NZ

After the beach walk, we went to the Three Sisters Lookout on Pilot Road near the Tongaporutu Cemetery to get another view of the beach.

Walk: Taranaki 1

Tongaporutu Coastline – the petroglyphs at Gibbs’ Beach, 21 August 2005

Tongaporutu coastline : At the boundary of impermanence

The lark, still bravely singing

Petroglyphs:

NZ Petroglyphs

CAVE DRAWINGS NEAR TONGAPORUTU, TARANAKI

Dawson Falls Walks, Taranaki

Walk 69, 31 July 2021

Dawson Falls sits at the top end of Manaia Road 14 km from Kaponga. The drive in is on a very scenic, narrow bush lined road. The best place to start is the Visitor Centre. Inside the Visitor Centre is the old Syme Hut, a reassembled mountain hut.

We did three walks, to Wilkies Pools, the historic Power Station, and the Dawson Falls.

The Dawson Falls Power Station is just down the road from the Visitor Centre.

The power station’s generator is the oldest in continuous operation in New Zealand and amongst the oldest in the world.

The generator was built by the General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York around 1899 -1901. While full details of its working life before coming to Dawson Falls in 1935 are not clear, it is thought that it may have been used in Tasmania, military camps in Wellington and to light the Wellington Cable Car system.

It provides light and heating to the Dawson Falls Lodge.

Dawson Falls Power Station