Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Kayaks can be hired from Kawhia Beachside S-Cape and Kawhia Motel.
Ocean Beach
(Te Puia Rd)
Four kilometres west of Kawhia is Ocean Beach and its high, black-sand dunes.
Swimming can be dangerous, but one to two hours either side of low tide you can find the
Te Puia Hot Springs
in the sand - dig a hole for your own natural hot pool.
BEACH, SPRING
MUSEUM, GALLERY
Kawhia Regional Museum & Gallery
(
www.kawhiaharbour.co.nz
;
Omimiti Reserve, Kawhia Wharf; admission by gold coin donation; noon-3pm Wed-
Sun)
Kawhia's modest waterside museum has local history, nautical and Maori artefacts,
and regular art exhibitions. It doubles as the visitor information centre.
Maketu Marae
(
www.kawhia.maori.nz
;
Kaora St)
From the wharf, a track extends along the coast to Maketu
Marae, which has an impressively carved meeting house, Auaukiterangi. Two stones here
- Hani and Puna - mark the burial place of the
Tainui waka
. You can't see a lot from the
road, but the
marae
is private property - don't enter without permission from the
Maketu
Marae Committee
(
info@kawhia.maori.nz
)
.
MARAE
Kawhia Harbour Cruises
( 021 966 754;
www.kawhiaharbourcruises.co.nz
;
cruises per adult $35)
There are some gorgeous
beaches and kooky rock formations to check out around isolated Kawhia Harbour: bring
your swimming gear! Minimum six adults.
CRUISE
Dove Charters
(
FISHING
07-871 5854;
www.westcoastfishing.co.nz
;
full day $110)
Full-day fishing trips.
KAWHIA'S CANOE
The
Tainui waka
- a 14th-century ancestral canoe - made its final landing at Kawhia. The expedition leaders -
Hoturoa, the chief/captain, and Rakataura, the
tohunga
(priest) - searched the west coast until they recognised
their prophesised landing place. Pulling into shore, they tied the
waka
to a pohutukawa tree, naming it Tangi te
Korowhiti. This unlabelled tree still stands on the shoreline between the wharf and Maketu Marae. The
waka
was
then dragged up onto a hill and buried: sacred stones were placed at either end to mark its resting place, now part
of the
marae
.
