Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Muriwai Dr)
The partially collapsed Te Ana o Muriwa (Muriwai's Cave) once extended
122m into the hillside and sheltered 60 people, including Muriwai, a famous seer and aunt
of Wairaka. Along with Wairere Falls and a rock in the harbour mouth, the cave was one
of three landmarks Toroa was told to look for by his father Irakewa, when he arrived in
the
Mataatua
canoe.
Te Papaka & Puketapu
On the clifftops behind the town are two ancient Ngati Awa
pa
sites - Te Papaka and
Puketapu - both of which offer sensational (and very defendable) outlooks over
Whakatane.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, LOOKOUTS
WAKA LIKE A MAN
Whakatane's name originated some eight centuries ago, 200 years after the original Maori settlers arrived here.
The warrior Toroa and his family sailed into the estuary in a huge ocean-going
waka
(canoe), the
Mataatua
. As
the men went ashore to greet local leaders, the tide turned, and the
waka
− with all the women on board − drifted
out to sea. Toroa's daughter, Wairaka, cried out
'E! Kia whakatane au i ahau!'
(Let me act as a man!) and, break-
ing the traditional
tapu
(taboo) on women steering a
waka,
she took up the paddle and brought the boat safely
ashore. A whimsical
statue of Wairaka
stands proudly atop a rock in Whakatane's harbour in commemoration of
her brave deed.
Activities
Feel like a stroll? The
Kohi Point Walkway
is highly recommended: a bushy four-hour, 5.5km
track with panoramic clifftop views and a genuine 'gasp' moment when you set eyes on
Otarawairere Bay. A short detour rewards you with amazing views from Toi's Pa (Kapua
te rangi), reputedly the oldest
pa
site in NZ. You can also get to Toi's Pa by a partly un-
sealed access road off the Whakatane-Ohope road. From Ohope, you can catch the bus
back to Whakatane if there aren't any more kilometres in your legs. Ask the i-SITE for a
walk map.
A flatter option is the
River Walk
(two to three hours), following the Whakatane River
past the Botanical Gardens, Muriwai's Cave and on to Wairaka's statue.
See
Click here
for info on boat and helicopter tours out to the explosive Whakaari
(White Island) and
Click here
for trips to Motuhora (Whale Island).
Diveworks Dolphin & Seal Encounters
MAP
DIVING, WILDLIFE TOUR
GOOGLE MAP
