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Ngāti Manuhiri’s tupuna is Manuhiri who travelled from the Kawhia Harbour with his family and a few hundred followers, leaving the overpopulated harbour in search of new lands. Manuhiri’s father was Maki-nui and, according to Ngāti Manuhiri’s korero, upon arriving in present day Auckland, Manuhiri named it Ta Maki. Manuhiri’s relations settled the edge of the Manukau Harbour and around the Panmure basin while he continued north to the Kaipara Harbour and travelled up the Hoteo River before finally reaching the east coast. Manuhiri and his people settled kainga around Omaha, Tomarata, Pakiri and Matakana. From there they expanded out to Aotea (Great Barrier), Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier) and Kawau, and today Ngāti Manuhiri’s rohe extends south to Okura, Oteha and Takapuna. The events of Manuhiri’s journey and the cultural significance of the places are immortalised in their names, and that history is held within the oratory archive of Ngāti Manuhiri. Jonathan Killick spoke to Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust chair Mook Hohneck to learn the origins behind the first names of local places…
Leigh and Omaha
The township and harbour known today as Leigh is the original Omaha. It was where Manuhiri built his pa and successive marae have been built over the ages. Today, it is still the site of Te Kiri Omaha marae. Omaha means bountiful food or great resources, and was probably inspired by the plentiful kaimoana including mussels, kina, fish and paua. The nearby beach that is referred to as Omaha Beach by pakeha today because they historically called it Sandspit, but Ngāti Manuhiri call the beach Mangatawhiri, referring to the wind which sweeps across the bay.
Pakiri
There are several interpretations of the meaning of Pakiri. It may refer to a pa named after kirikiri freshwater fish, which pakeha call cockabully. It is sometimes also said to relate to Te Kiri who was Manuhiri’s great great great grandson, whom Te Kiri Marae is also named for. Kiri also means skin so the place may take its name from the gleaming sand which shines like skin. In any case, Pakiri was home to several pa around the rivers and tributaries on the foothills and on the coast. The pa were set up in the hills near freshwater sources and provided easy access to kaimoana at the beach, but also the security of a good view. The pa had a system with their relatives in Te Arai, who could see up the coast to Whangarei Heads. The pa along the coast would light their fires in a series to signal if there was a northern invader on the water.
Te Arai
An arai is a high or sacred point. One of the original waka, named Moekākara, which travelled across the Pacific to Aotearoa, landed at Te Arai point. Its navigators built a stone altar, which was blessed to show gratitude for the waka’s safe arrival.
Tomarata
Today’s spelling of ‘Tomarata’ is actually a bastardisation of the true name Tomorata, which morphed due to the speaking inflection of pakeha. A tomo is a hole or an opening and the name refers to the gaps that are formed in large rata trees among their bulging roots. Maori would put the remains of their relatives in the holes and wait for the flesh to rot before the bones could be put into their final resting place. The area was named Tomorata when Manuhiri laid his brother to rest there.
Cape Rodney
The name of the point at Cape Rodney is Motoruru. Motu means either an island or an extension of land like a cape or a peninsula, but it can also mean an area that has been singled out as having special significance. A ruru is a New Zealand native owl, also known by pakeha as a morepork. The shape of the cape looks like a ruru watching across the Hauraki Gulf like a sentinel.
Tāwharanui
Tāwhara refers to the shoots of flax when they emerge and flower. When taking a landscape view of the peninsula, one of the most standout features would have been the wide expanse of flowering flax.
Kawau Island
A kawau is a black shag, and the full name of the island is Te Kawau o Tumaro which refers to the way in which shags stand in a line on a rock ledge. The term was also used metaphorically to describe a formation of warriors in battle and is still used by Ngāti Manuhiri to refer to a formation in kapa haka.
Whangateau
The name Whangateau means a fast gush of water. It refers to the exit point of the harbour where the tide drains quickly. Anyone who has kayaked at the mouth of the harbour will have witnessed the fierce current as the tide turns.
Matakana
While Matakana may have a reputation for its hospitality today to Maori the name is a severe warning. Mata means face and kanakana is an expression made by bulging the eyes and tongue, intended to intimidate. Matakana was the name of a pa at the mouth of the Mahurangi River. A stranger who heard the name would know they would be greeted by angry eyes watching over palisades. Pakeha eventually borrowed the name for the Matakana River and then the town, despite it not being particularly close to the original pa.
Waiwhiu ranges (The Dome)
The name Waiwhiuwhiu refers to the gushing sound of the many springs and rivers within the Dome and its valleys. Wai is water, while the sound of whiuwhiu is an onomatopoeia of the flowing sound of water. It is similar, in that way, to the name of the poi awhiowhio, an instrument made from a hollowed gourd and spun on a rope to produce a “whio” sound.
Mahurangi
The name Mahurangi was given to the area by ancient explorers and predates Manuhiri’s arrival to the area. It is the general name for area that is now north Auckland. Its literal translation means beautiful sky and it evokes a picturesque scene like a beautiful sunset. It is not the kind of name that describes a story or an event, but rather personifies a place. The name is believed to have been given by explorers on the Tainui waka on its journey north.
