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’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. Motutara literally means “the island of the seabirds.” The gannet invasion of Motutara Island caused the white fronted terns which formerly nested there to shift down to small crevasses on the sheer cliffs. The little terns fly like swallows.
The gannets then settled on Otakamiro Point, one of only two mainland nesting sites in NZ.
There used to be two pa at Otakamiro Point where the gannets now are.
To really top the walk off, we found 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.
Source: Muriwai Regional Park History Overview
Auckland Regional Council Muriwai Regional Park Management Plan 1994
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
The pillar and carvings of Korekore Pa
Gannets (in South Africa) plunge into sea for sardines
Muriwai Regional Park History Overview
This document provides a 3-page summary of the history of human occupation and archaeology at Muriwai Regional Park from 1994. It describes the earliest inhabitants of the area from over 800 years ago, subsequent migrations of iwi/hapu groups like Ngati Te Kahupara and Te Kawerau a Maki in the late 19th century. It also outlines the traditional place names of the area and archaeological sites that provide evidence of human history.
NZShortWalks 