My Account
Located off the Leigh Road, Big Omaha Wharf echoes of a time when scows plied the deeper water of Whangateau Harbour and the hammers of shipbuilders rang out across the bay. Here long-time resident Hugh McKergow writes about the special memories it holds for him …
My first memory of the Big Omaha Wharf was when my father moored his launch there to unload our chattels, purchased from Mr Gilbert Sandford, of the Sandford fishing family. This was when we purchased our Ashtons Road property in the 1950s. I, at this time, farmed at Pt Wells, and spent happy days netting sprats and taking part in the Big Omaha Sailing Club. The Club was in full swing with races most weekends over summer. Later on, when my wife Anthea and I had children, we spent many evenings sailing and swimming with other young parents.
Over recent years, it has been sad to see the wharf slowly deteriorate to the extent that the Rodney District Council planned to pull it down. With a lot of support, the wharf has been restored, and at this time, it is nearly back to its 1920s standard, when it was the hub of the district. As well as the existing wharf, there was a general store and storage shed, and it was the site of one of the first of three petrol outlets in Rodney – the others being at the Albertland Dairy Factory, at Te Hana, and Helensville.
The harbour was a lot deeper in the 1920s and even at low tide, the water was quite deep under the store and large boats such as the Jane Gifford made weekly visits to tie up at the wharf. The shipyard on Youngs Creek – which has all but disappeared under mangroves – was located north of the present road bridge and was also a hive of activity.
It has been a privilege and a challenge to have acted as project supervisor for the last stage of the wharf restoration. New doors are nearly completed, and other improvements include new stairs and handrails, and the replacement of walings to the edge of the concrete base.
