Tag: Island

Waikanae River Estuary and Beach

Walk #168, 19th May 2025

This is a small estuary, prolific with birds despite the close proximity of housing. The walk goes over a swing bridge and along the banks of the Waikanae River to the Waimanu Lagoons. There we were treated to a special sight, a white heron (kotuku) who lives at the lagoon. The bird is so rare that the Maori have a saying, “He Kotuku rerenga tahi,” “a Kotuku’s flight is seen but once.”

The beach is only a short walk from the lagoon, where we watched the sun set over Kapiti Island, 5 kms offshore.

Walk: Kapiti 33

History

Te Uruhi, a former pa site at Waikanae, was one of three ancient pa sites mentioned in the book ‘THE ART WORKMANSHIP OF THE MAORI RACE IN NEW ZEALAND,’ published in 1896. Elsdon Best wrote, “I have seen the remains of an old pa at Waikanae, called Te Uruhi, the fence of which has been a mile in circumference.”

Unfortunately the site would have been obliterated by developer’s bulldozers.

The Waitaha, first inhabitants

“Archaeological and ethnographical research suggests that Waikanae may have been first inhabited by the Waitaha moa-hunters as early as a thousand years ago.” The Waitaha people were replaced by successive waves of settlement of the Ngāti Apa, Rangitāne and Muaūpoko iwi (tribal groups).

Source: Wikipedia:

Te Rauparaha

In the 1820s the infamous Maori leader of Ngāti Toa, Te Rauparaha, moved into the area and based himself at Kapiti Island.

In this 1840s image of Te Rauparaha, he wears a feather in his hair and a pōhoi (feather-ball earring). Te Rauparaha is famous for the role he played during the musket wars.

Source: Te Ara

In 1824, Waikanae Beach was the embarkation point for a force of 2,000 to 3,000 fighters from coastal iwi, who assembled with the intention of taking Kapiti Island from the Ngāti Toa led by Te Rauparaha. Crossing the strait in a fleet of waka canoes under shelter of darkness, the attackers were met and destroyed as they disembarked at the northern end of Kapiti Island.

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Te Āti Awa of Wellington

In the 1820s the Taranaki tribes iwi Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Maru Wharanui began moving to the Kapiti area after being driven south by Waikato tribes in the Maori Musket Wars. The tribes moved back to Taranaki in 1848 but some Atiawa iwi remained in the Kapiti area. Source: Te Āti Awa of Wellington

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The Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve

The Waikanae Estuary Scientific Reserve is a nationally–significant reserve located at the mouth of the Waikanae River. The reserve was established in 1987 to protect the large number of bird species that use the area.

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Thomas the goose

Here’s something funny and sweet – a local story about a goose called Thomas who lived at the Waimanu Lagoons from 1970 to 2018.

“Thomas had a relationship with a male black-feathered swan, Henry, for approximately 18 to 24 years until a female swan, Henrietta, joined them. Thomas initially attacked the pair, which included breaking two of the five eggs that Henrietta had laid. But once the remaining eggs had hatched, he became friendly and helped raise them. Henry could not fly because he had an injured wing, so Thomas helped teach the cygnets to fly.

Thomas was left alone when Henry died in 2009 and Henrietta flew away with another swan. Thomas later met a female goose and had his own offspring, for the first time, in 2011. The offspring were then taken by another goose. After going blind and getting attacked by swans, he was moved in 2013 to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust in Ohariu, and stayed there until his death in 2018. A plaque was placed at the lagoon to remember him.” Source: Wikipedia

The locals even had a funeral for him

Links

We stopped at the Southward Car Museum on the road to the Waikanae Estuary walk. It’s well worth a visit.

Waikanae Link Track

Kotuku, White heron

White heron making most of Waikanae Beach before departure

Thomas (goose)

Te Ātiawa ki Kāpiti History : The earliest accounts of Te Ātiawa ki Kāpiti go back to the Kāhui Mounga Collective that had spread itself from Taranaki and the Central Plateau region through to Te Ūpoko o te Ika. During this time, further waves of migrations occurred.

Two of these migrations began with the arrival of the following waka to Taranaki; Te Kahutara, Taikōria and Okoki.

The names of these iwi were Te Tini-a-Taitāwaro, Te Tini-a-Pananehu, Tamaki, and Te Tini-o-Pohokura, names after four brothers who led their people to Aotearoa. 

Rangitoto Island

Walk 8: Rangitoto Island, 17 November 2018

Rangitoto Island -Skytower1

Click here for the video

Rangitoto Island, a major Auckland landmark is said to have formed over 600 years ago from a volcanic eruption.  It’s a popular destination for a day trip as it’s a short ferry ride across the harbour.

A great view of Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf can be had from Rangitoto’s summit.  Although there’s no natural water source on the island there’s abundant bush and birdlife.

Rangitoto panorama -2

I was amazed at how the trees have colonised the volcanic scoria.

Although at first reluctant to buy an island that was ‘all rock’, in 1854 the Crown bought Rangitoto from its Māori owners for £15. In 1890 the island became a public domain and a popular destination for picnickers and boat day trippers.

Baches were built in the 1920’s and 30’s.  Most were taken down as the place is a reserve but some have been left.  I’m glad these baches were left as they add a bit of character to the island.  Leaving a plaque in memorial of a bach is not the same.

The Collins bach is still in use.

Walk: Auckland 55

History

Māori know the island as ‘Nga Rangi-i-totongia a Tamatekapua’ which translates to ‘the day the blood of Tama-te-kapua was shed’. Tama-te-kapua was the chief of the Arawa canoe which arrived around 1350. He fought a major battle with the iwi (tribe) from the Tainui canoe at Islington Bay on Rangitoto which was allegedly caused over adultery, and the fight that followed left Tama-te-kapua’s face bloodied and bruised.

Source: DOC, History of Rangitoto Island

The account of adultery agrees with what is written in the Journal of the Polynesian Society: TAINUI VOYAGES FROM HAWAIKI TO RAROTONGA. 

“From Hawaiki they came with “Te Arawa” canoe; Ngatoro-i-rangi was the “Tainui” navigator.  When they arrived at Rarotonga the people of that place were urged to come along also, that is to say, the people called Te Aitanga-o-Whakaahu, younger brother of Puanga; but those people said “No”—they would not agree to leave their ancestral home and come hither—so they were left behind; also Rakataura of the “Tainui” crew, because of his thievish habits. Riu-ki-uta was now the navigator, because Tama-te-kapua had taken away on his canoe the “Tainui’s” navigator Nga-toro-i-rangi, also that man’s wife Kea-taketake.”

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The date of 1350 for the arrival of the canoe seems wrong. How can Rangitoto be formed 600 years ago if Tainui and Arawa anchored there and had a fight? The answer is that Rangitoto Island was already formed and inhabited before the arrival of the immigrants from Tainui and Arawa. The inhabitant’s footprints are preserved in the ash of adjacent Motutapu Island. Was the 600 year date given for the formation of Rangitoto Island made to fit the arrival of the Tainui and Arawa canoes?

See my page on The First People.

The Ngai Tai ki Tamaki tribe have clarified the matter. Rangitoto erupted more than once. The footprints preserved in the ash of adjacent Motutapu Island are likely to be from the Maruiwi people.

The Maruiwi

The explorer Toi was there long before the arrival of the Tainui canoe, and when Toi Te Huatahi arrived in Tāmaki he found it to be extensively settled already by the Maruiwi peoples as firstly evident by the many occupation fires visible from his arrival. Hence, Toi called this land Hawaiiki tahutahu, ‘Hawaiiki of Many Fires’.

Peretū was a key Maruiwi ancestor.

“Peretū (pere, dart; tū, pierced) was so named for his father died of a wound in battle caused by a hand-thrown dart, a weapon that was commonly used by these ancient peoples. The headland where Peretū resided is named Ō-Peretū (Fort Takapuna). Peretū had other Pā across Tāmaki, one such in the North being Te Raho-Para-a-Peretū at present day Castor Bay, North Shore, and another in the south known as Te Pounui a Peretū (Ponui Island).

At that time Peretū utilised Rangitoto for the purpose of a “Rāhui-Kākā” (Parrot Preserve), a bird then very abundant on that island. The many Kākā would thrive on the plentiful bush foods of Rangitoto for the island was covered in a forest of Rātā and Pohutukawa trees. For this reason the slopes of Rangitoto are known as “Ngā Huruhuru a Peretū” (The hairs of Peretū) in ancient times and today. Note that this period precedes the second eruption of Rangitoto.

Some of Toi’s crew stayed and intermarried with Peretū’s people. Uika, Toi’s cousin, was one who stayed in Tāmaki and intermarried. Uika settled at present day North Head, known thereafter as Maunga-a-Uika or Maungauika.

Also in these ancient times was the name Ngā Pona Toru a Peretū (The three knuckles of Peretū) which refers to the three summits of Rangitoto. Peretū had three fingers on each hand; this was not a deformity, but a sign of his descent from a godly ancestor.“

Source: Ngai Tai ki Tamaki, Tipua, Tūrehu and Patupaiarehe

Links

Rangitoto Island

Auckland: The people of the ocean