Waikawaiti – heading north

Tu Tangata, Issue 27, 1 December 1985, Page 43

Waikawaiti - heading north

(Old South Island terminal)

Waikawaiti in outer Queen Charlotte Sound was a convenient landing place for parties headed for Tasman or Golden Bays and D'urville Island. It was also a cove where parties headed for the North Island waited till such time as all the signs of nature indicated to the officiating tohunga that conditions were favourable for the crossing of Cook Strait. In November 1839 Edward Jerningham Wakefield reported a party Kapiti bound waiting their time until things were right for setting forth.

From a vantage point a commanding view is obtained of the open sea to the north and receding western coastline of the North Island disappearing into the haze. Although sea and weather conditions could be studied out into the South Taranaki Bight, what lay to the south of Cape Koamaru around the corner was an unknown factor. From Waikawaiti it is 11 kilometres to Cape Koamaru and then a further 24 to Te Rewarewa Point a prominent prominitory which marks the eastern approaches to Porirua Harbour. In this case however Kapiti and not the Brothers, was the island that first voyagers must not gaze on. It was also all important that the steersman did not deviate from the sea lane which according to belief marked a submerged tapu ridge. For parties heading to Wellington Harbour or the Wairarapa a land fall could be made at either Karehana, Porirua, Ti Tahi or Te Korohiwa some of which are places mentioned in the Kupe sagas. Due to not being able to obtain a view to

the south Waikawaiti did have certain deficiencies as a port of departure. When studying the area today the observer is left with the question as to why two sandy beaches exposed to the open sea on the western side of the northern tip of Arapawa were not the favoured departure points providing tribal considerations permitted. From Oamaru and Te Hurahura it would have been possible for a lookout on Pukeatua which had a commanding view of the strait, to signal by means of pahu (gong) to the voyagers once conditions were deemed favourable. Allowing for different vegetative cover in those times those whose task it was to give the go ahead would be able to rendeavouz with the travellers within 30 to 45 minutes. This would be approximately the same time as the lookout at Omere across the strait would take to reach Ohau Bay.

In outer Queen Charlotte Sound, sound can travel long distances and it would have been possible to pass the prepare to embark order by means of the pahu situated on Pukeatua. Surgeon Major Thompson of the 58 Regiment recorded how the melancholy sound of the pahu could, under favourable circumstances, be heard up to 20 miles. In this case the party departing from Waikawaiti could break their journey at Oamaru if others were crossing the strait.

On occasions travellers from the south found when abreast of the Brothers that sea conditions were deteriorating. Here a landing was made at Tungongo on the rugged eastern coastline of Arapawa. This was not the location to spend any length of time and what in those days was a short climb, would enable the voyagers after beaching their canoe, to descend into the head of East Bay at Ruapara. Today it is not possible to follow this ancient trail because the presence of goats has induced accelerated erosion of the cliff.