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Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui

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The Land of Tara and they who settled it, by Elsdon Best

Part V. pp. 92-104. Native Place Names of Wellington district.


(Many of these names will be found on the map of Wellington Country Districts published in 'J.P.S., Vol. XXVII.,' No. 1.)
Return to the map at the beginning of this book.



Mukamuka Point. On western side of Palliser Bay. This is Mukamuka-nui. The Ngati-Tama clan of the Ati-Awa league of this district had a small fortified village at this place, an advanced post. These people had many fights with the Wai-rarapa natives. Mukamuka-iti is a place a little to the westward of the above point. This rocky point was often a difficult place to pass when the only road to Wai-rarapa was by the coast line.
Wai-marara. A place about one mile east of Turaki-rae.
Turaki-rae. The western headland of Palliser Bay, or Useless Bay as it is marked on some early maps.
Te Papa-nui-a-Henga. A fishing place at Orongorongo.
Te Raina. A place between Turaki-rae and Baring Head. A modern name. There was a fortified village just east of the Wainui-o-Mata stream.
Orua-pouanui. Baring Head.
Te Wera. A place just west of Baring Head.
Te Rae-o-Paua. A place in Fitzroy Bay.
Okakao. A stream in Fitzroy Bay, east of Kohanga-te-ra. A small Ngati-Awa village was situated here.
Kohanga-te-ra. The second lagoon east of Pencarrow Head.
Kohanga-piripiri. The first lagoon east of Pencarrow Head.
Wai-mikomiko. A stream just east of Pencarrow Head.
Para-ngarehu. The old name of Pencarrow Head. Site of the pa of Tautoki. The modern name of this point is Te Rae-akiaki.
Nga Hu and Nga Rerenga. Places on the beach, at or near Section 63,
north of Pencarrow Head. So named from two women who had a narrow escape from drowning here.
Paraoa-nui. A place on the beach just north of Nga Hu.
Okiwi-nui. Robinson's Bay. Also the name of a fortified village of Ngati-Ira at that place, the residence of the chief Te Rangi-irokia.
Matua-iwi. A pa of Ngati-Ira at Okiwi-nui. Perhaps same as above. At the time of the Ati-Awa or Ngati-Awa invasion it was attacked by the Ngati-Tama clan under Taringa-kuri, and Te Ao-paoa, the chief of the village was slain.
Okiwi-iti. Brown's Bay. So named after the notorious 'Okiwi Brown.' The original native name of this place was Ma-kokomiko ; it was renamed Okiwi after a Rangitane chief named Kiwi who was slain there.
Oruamotoro. Day's Bay. A Ngati-Ira fortified village was situated here. It was built under the aegis of the chief Te Hiha six generations ago.
Korohiwa. Said to have been the name of a fortified village on the shore about opposite Ward Island.
Whiorau. Lowry Bay.
Ngau-matau. Northern headland of Lowry Bay.
Makaro. Ward Island.
Matiu. Somes Island.
Haowhenua. An old time fortified position on the summit of Somes Island, on site of present Barracks. In his time the chief Te Rangi-tumamao lived here.
Te Moana-a-kura. An old fortified village on the ridge at the northern end of Somes Island.
Te Papa o Tara. A. rock at the south end of Somes Island.
Nga Mokopuria. The islet and detached rock lying off the northern end of Somes lsland.
Te Ana o Kahungunu. The cave or rock tunnel on the islet off northern end of Somes Island.
Pukeatua. The range between Waiwhetu and Wainui-o-mata.
Ngutuihe. A Ngati-Ira village on Section 77 east of Waiwhetu stream.
Te Ngohengohe. A place near Ngutu-ihe.
Ohiti. A stockaded village at the mouth of the Waiwhetu stream, east side. Apparently an old Ngati-Ira village afterwards occupied by Ngati-Awa.
Heretaunga. Native name of the Hutt River, also name of the-district.
Te Awa-kairangi. Original name of the Hutt River.
Okautu. One of the ana branches or channels of the Hutt River near its mouth.
Awa-motou (?) A corrupt form. Possibly Awa-mutu or Awa-motu. Another of the Hutt River ana branches.
Paetutu. A Ngati-Awa village on the right (western) bank of Hutt river near the pipe bridge.
Hikoikoi. A stockaded Ngati-Awa village at the mouth of the Hutt River, western side.
Whenua-ngaro. A place up the Wai-whetu stream ; so named from a land selling act of Wi Tako.
Te Mako. A place at Te Taitai, where Wi Tako lived.
Whirinaki. The place now called Trentham.
Hau-karetu. A Ngati-Ira village near Upper Hutt.
Wai-wherowhero. A place at the Hutt, not located.
Pa-whakataka. A Ngati-Ira village near the junction of the Mangaroa and Heretaunga streams,
Te Horopari. A Ngati-Ira village on the Hutt River.
Purehurehu. The lands about Moonshine. Also the name of the old native track from the Hutt valley across the hills to the Porirua Harbour.
Te Tukutuku. A place at Belmont.
Pareraho. The hills about Belmont.
Maungaraki. The high range north of Pito-one pa.
Puke-tirotiro. A peak of Maungaraki. See map.
Pito-one. A stockaded village of Ngati-Awa situated about Te Puni Street.
Te-Upoko-o-te-poaka. A place on Section 2, just north of Pito-one.
Te Ahi-parera. On the hill above Te Upoko.
Nga Puhoro. A hill north of Te Ahi-parera.
Te Momi. A place near the railway, at Sections 16-20.
Tuara-whati. A place on Section 3 just west of railway and north of R. C. Cemetery.
Whakahikuwai. A place on Section 16, north side of White's Line.
Koekoe (?) A place on Section 7, about 15 chains inland of the Esplanade.
Te Raho o Kapawai. A place on boundary line between Sections 1 and 78 west of Te Korokoro stream.
Waihinahina. A small waterfall about Section 17, between Te Korokoro and Nga Uranga.
Te Ana-puta. At Section 16, on Nga Uranga side of Waihinahina. At this place was a pari karangaranga or echo, which sounds were thought to be caused or made by spirits of the dead.
Paroro-rangi. A small Ngati-Awa hamlet about the boundary of Section 13 and 14, on the Nga Uranga side of Te Ana-puta.
Piki-wahine. A place between Te Ana-puta and Nga Uranga.
Tahataha-roa. The comparatively straight extent of beach, between Paroro-rangi and Nga Uranga.
Nga Uranga. A place name only; so called because it was a landing place, for canoes. A. small Ngati-Awa village was situated here, whereat Te Whare-pouri lived. On his death he was buried at Pito-one, but a cenotaph, consisting of half a canoe adorned with painted patterns, was erected in his memory on the hill slope on the east side of the stream, just above Wallace's Inn or Futter's Inn of later days. This was in 1848. The cenotaph was erected by Rawiri Te Motutere, grandfather of Meri Ngamai, who lived there. He was a helm, a fair skinned, light haired man, who, to preserve his fair facial aspect, often wore a mask formed from a gourd, ornamented with plumes.
Waitohi. The old name of the stream at Nga Uranga.
Waikiekie. A place between Nga Uranga and Kaiwharawhara.
Papaka-whero. A place on Section 6, between Nga Uranga and Kaiwharawhara.
Tutai-weera. A place on Section 5, between Papaka-whero and Kaiwharawhara. A modern name "whale spying." It is said to have been a lookout place for whales entering the harbour, which apparently was not a frequent occurrence.
Kaiwharawhara. As a single word this name denotes the wing feathers of an albatross, while wharawhara is a name for the long plumes of the white heron. Viewed as two words kai wharawhara might imply the utilising of Astelia Banksii as a food product, and a very poor one it would be. It is not known as to whether or not this name was applied to the stream in former times. The late chief Wi Tako stated that Te Mahanga was the name of a stream between Tinakore Road and Karori, which can scarcely be any other than the upper part of the Kaiwharawhara stream, though the name may have been applied to it only as far as its junction with the Crofton branch. At the head of Te Mahanga was a temporary camp used by fowlers when snaring birds in those forests.
In the early days of European settlement a store at Kaiwhara-whara, kept by one McGregor (?) was known to the natives, throughout the district as Te Hautapu-nui-o-Tu, so called from its wide-spread fame.
Te Wharau. The range north of Kaiwharawhara over which passed the old track to Porirua.
Paerau. The summit of Te Wharau at the place where the old Maori track crossed it. It was a taumata or resting place on the track, from which a fine view was obtained.
Kaukau. The name of Kaka hill, above Khandallah on Collinson's map. It may or may not be a correct form.
Te Awa-iti. A small rivulet between Kaiwharawhara and Pa-kuao. Now generally dry.
Ahumairangi. The Tinakore range.
Otari. The peak of above on which is the Wireless Station, Mt. McCleverty. The Ngati-Tama clan had a cultivation ground on the slope south of the peak, on the land known as Orangikaupapa.
Pa-kuao. A small Ngati-Awa village on the terrace-like formation above the foot of the Tinakore Road, called the Cliff Pa in the forties of last century. The small stream here is marked as Te Wai-paikaka on an early map, in which pai should undoubtedly be pae. Another gives Paekaka as a place name near Raurimu, Hobson Street.
Whakahikuwai. Given by one as the name of the stream over which is the suspension bridge, Hobson Street, between Raurimu and Tinakore Road.
Tinakore. A modern name. A popular story states that it arose from the fact that natives employed here on road or survey work were compelled to go without dinner one day. As a corrupt form it means ' dinnerless' ; as a genuine Maori expression it means 'unsatisfied.' The intelligent reader can take his choice.
Tiakiwai. A small Ngati-Awa hamlet on the beach at the mouth of the canyon on Section 614, east side of Hobson Street. Called Pah Jackawi by early settlers. A very small rivulet in this gulch gave so scant a supply of water in summer that, to fill a vessel, one had to wait some time, hence Tiakiwai or ' water waiting.'
Haukawakawa. The old name of Thorndon Flat about Hobson ;and Murphy Streets.
Te One i Haukawakawa. The sandy beach that extended from Pipitea to a little distance north of Tiakiwai. Covered by reclamation works in eighties of last century.
Kopae-parawai. A place at the junction of Molesworth and Murphy Streets.
Huka's Hill, or Ehuka's Hill. Native name unknown. The hill immediately above the junction of Grant Road and Main Road. On the sloping top of this hill, back from the brow, was a Ngati-Awa cultivation ground, where a native named Huka lived, in the forties, the terror of small boys in search of firewood. The wood trails made by Imperial soldiers in the forties are still in evidence on the slope of this hill, and two of the officers' cottages in Grant Road below are still extant and occupied (1917).
Raurimu. A Ngati-Awa hamlet at the junction of Hobson Street and Fitzherbert Terrace. An early missionary document applies the name to the canyon stream hard by over which is the suspension bridge.
Te Rae-kaihau. The wind scourged point. The low bluff that formerly existed just north of Davis Street. A small Ngati-Awa hamlet stood here.
Waikoko. A place name including the old hospital grounds, now the Girls' High School, facing Moturoa and Pipitea Streets.
Pipitea. Belsize Point of early maps. A native village here was occupied by the Hamua clan of Ngati-Awa. It was situated on the south side of the stream by the Railway Hotel. Moturoa Street was named after a native of that name who was living at Pipitea in the early forties.
Nga Pakoko. A place name at the junction of Mulgrave and Sydney Streets.
Waititi. At foot of Charlotte Street, west end of Hotel Cecil and vicinity. A pre-Ngati-Awa name.
Waipiro. The stream flowing down Sydney Street from Honeyman's Gully to the beach at east end of Bowen Street.
Tutaenui. On the beach at east end of Bowen Street, south side, and streamlet flowing down Bowen Street.
Kaiota. On hill slope; site of Parliamentary Library and vicinity.
Kumutoto. At foot of Bowen Street, also the stream that flowed into the sea there. A small native village here.
Kai-upoko. Clay Point and vicinity ; at junction of Lambton Quay and Willis Street.
Waikoukou. Lower Boulcott Street, and small stream there.
Pukehinau. The ridge extending from Terrace Gaol northward.
Huriwhenua. The original name of Te Aro Flat.
Wai-mapihi. The original name of Te Aro stream, flowing from Polhill's Gully (Aro Street) across the flat to the beach near the Royal Oak Hotel, east of Cuba Street, and just south of Manners Street.
Te Aro. This name applied to the flat land still known as Te Aro, also a native village situated near the beach near the mouth of the Wai-mapihi stream, north side of Manners Street. Natives have stated that a white man named Pire Rauati lived for some time at this village, also that he brought or had the first horse seen here, a statement that may well be doubted, for he is said to have lived here prior to the arrival of the Tory, and it is pretty certain that no horse arrived here prior to 1839. Anyhow, that horse was named Kai-pangu because it ate bran (pangu). The fame of this strange animal spread afar, and numbers of natives visited Te Aro in order to see it. At one time Pire was holding the horse with one hand, and the natives implored him to grip it with both hands, lest it get free and attack them. When the creature snorted, the natives fled in terror, the women wailing aloud in their fear. This village was on the eastern side of the stream.
Te Kopahou. The ridge between Aro Street and the upper valley of the Kaiwharawhara Stream, running southward to the coast.
Moera. A small native hamlet on the hill at Marama Crescent; so named because the place caught the very early ravs of the sun, which shone on the hamlet ere the people awoke in the morning.
Omaruru. A place name at Brooklyn.
Waitangi. The sluggish stream that ran down Cambridge Terrace from the Basin Reserve to the beach at Courtenay Place, near which a small lagoon often existed, which sometimes broke through the containing bank, and flowed into the sea. It so broke out on the afternoon of March 4th, 1853, when small peat islets, supporting flax plants, were seen afloat in the harbour. The natives stated that a taniwha or water monster formerly occupied this lagoon, but that, having a foreknowledge of the coming of Europeans, it vacated that place prior to their arrival.
Puke-ahu. The old Ngai-Tara name of Mount Cook at Te Aro.
Hauwai. The Basin Reserve and vicinity. Ngati-Hinewai, the clan occupying Te Aka-tarewa, had cultivation grounds around the swamp at Hauwai.
Kaipapa. The site of the present (1917) Vice-regal residence.
Te O. A place name in the vicinity of the residence of the late Mr. Pollen, Hanson Street.
Matairangi. The old name of Mt. Victoria..
Tangi-te-keo. Apparently a later name for Mt. Victoria.
Te Aka-tarewa. Old stockaded village of Ngati-Tara on Mt. Alfred, a secondary peak of the Ranga-a-Hiwi ridge above the College.
Te Ranga-a-Hiwi. The ridge extending from Magazine Point (Point Jenningham) to the coast at Island Bay. It was named after one Hiwi, son of Hinekiri, a chieftainess of Ngati-Hinewai of Te Aka-tarewa.
Omarukaikuru. Point Jenningham. Evidently named after a person styled Maru-kai-kuru, which may be rendered as Maru the breadfruit eater, which looks like an immigrant from Polynesia.
Te Wai-hirere. A stockaded village of the Ngai-Tara folk on Point Jenningham. Levelled hut sites were in evidence on this point in the days of our youth.
Kakariki-hutia. Site-of a village of former times. Said by one native to have been on the shores of Evans Bay, but possibly the Kakariki of Worser Bay.
Te Akau-tangi. The vicinity, of the lower part, eastern end, of Wellington Road at Kilbirnie, applied to the foreshore. This place has been occupied by natives in past times.
Hataitai. So far as we can gather this is not one of the original place names of the district, but a more modern name applied to the Miramar Peninsula and the isthmus. The latter area was sometimes alluded to as the Kauru of Hataitai. The word hataitai has been given by some writers as equivalent to mataitai, a term applied to salt-water food supplies, but a native states that it denotes a succession of small wavelets lapping on the beach, mo te katokato o te tai, mo te puputu o nga ngaru pakupaku: - "Kai te tai nei, hataitai ana tera." It is said that the expression tai wawa carries a similar meaning.
Motu-kairangi. Miramar Island. Apparently this name fell into disuse after those lands became a peninsula. The word motu signifies an island.
Te Awa-a-Taia. The second entrance channel to the harbour of former times, when the sea covered the present isthmus.
Te Au a Tane and Te Au nui a Tane. The name of the present entrance of the channel.
Rongotai. The ridge bordering the eastern side of Evans Bay, and extending southward past the old Crawford homestead. The Ngati-Hinepare clan occupied several villages along this ridge, the sites of three such being discernible.
Maupuia. A stockaded village on the top of the above ridge, and situated on the southern side of the deep roadway cutting. First occupied by Ngati-Hinepare of the Ngai-Tara tribe, whose eponymic ancestress Hinepare is said to have been a daughter of Wakanui, and hence a grand-daughter of Tara. There were kumara a cultivation grounds in this vicinity in former times. A short paper on this pa appeared in Vol. XXXVII. "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute."
Para. Burnham Water; the lagoon that formerly existed on Miramar Flat. An older name for it was Rotokura. It covered 213 acres, and was drained in 1847. Its swampy shores were overgrown with sedges, etc., and a native described it as a roto hawai, between a lake and a swamp. The natives used to bring eels of the matamoe and haumate varieties from the Hutt and liberate them in this lagoon, as those varieties flourish in muddy places.
Kaiwaka. A place on the eastern side of Rotokura, including the water spring at the lower end of Awa Road.
Te Taniwha. An unlocated place on or near the harbour shores.
Kokotahi. An unlocated place on or near the harbour shores.
Te Mahau. An unlocated place on or near the harbour shores.
Whata-ahiahi An unlocated place on or near the harbour shores.
Kai-tawaro. Point Halswell. Said to have been named after the man who was killed there by a shark.
Rukutoa. A place at or near Point Halswell, where shell fish were obtained by diving (ruku). So named because only expert divers were successful there.
Kauwhakaarawaru. An unfortified village of the Ngati-kai-tangata clan on the hill at Point Halswell.
Te Mahanga. An unfortified village near Port Gordon.
Mataki-kaipoinga. A village of Ngati-kai-tangata near Point Halswell. Whatu-kai-kore of that clan lived here.
Puhirangi. An old-time pa on the ridge near Fort Gordon.
Te Karaka. Karaka Bay. Took its name from the uru karaka or grove of those trees at that place.
Onehunga. A place near the Karaka Bay wharf. The name denotes a sandy beach. Often applied to all Karaka Bay. Wi Tako and others lived at Karaka Bay for some time.
Taipakupaku. A place near Karaka Bay. One says just north of Te Karaka, another that it applies to a rocky point and little bay on the south side of the wharf, the latter from Rangi-whaia, wife of Te Puni.
Kakariki. Site of Pilot Station in Worser Bay and vicinity.
Te Puna o Tinirau or Te Puna a Tara. The fresh-water spring in Worser Bay.
The first of these names is that of a mythical place in the ocean where fish are said to originate or migrate from. It is also applied to the blow hole of a whale.
Te Whetu-kairangi. The famous pa of Ngai-Tara situated on the ridge above Te Puna a Tara.
Takapuna. A place in the vicinity of Te Whetu-kairangi.
Mirimiri. A place in the vicinity of Te Whetu-kairangi.
Maraenui. A place name on the western shore of the Au a Tane or entrance channel; apparently Seatoun Flat. The kumara was cultivated in former times at Maraenui.
Kirikiri-tatangi. The foreshore at or near Seatoun. This name denotes the rattling or rustling sound caused by waves disturbing gravel on the beach.
Te Pou a Amuketi. A place on Seatoun Flat, named after Captain Kent, who was known as Amuketi to the natives. He visited the harbour prior to European occupation, but in what year is unknown. He obtained supplies of potatoes here. Captain Kent's first voyage to New Zealand seems to have been in 1820, but it was probably in the thirties that he entered Port Nicholson.
Te Turanga O Kupe. The foreshore at Seatoun and stretch of water between it and Pinnacle Rock.
Te Aroaro O Kupe. The Pinnacle Rock off Seatoun.
Oruaiti. An old time stockaded village on Point Dorset.
Te Tangihanga a Kupe or Te Rarangi a Kupe. Barret's Reef
Otumaururangi. An isolated rock near Barret's Reef.
Te Punga whangai o Tu-tere-moana. A famous toka hapuku or cod-fishing place; a sunken rock seaward of Barret's Reef. When the Takitumu canoe from Hawaiki reached Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, one of her crew named Kohupara went a fishing with the local people, and by means of magic charms caused hapuku to frequent this place. Tu-tere-moana, after whom this rock was named, was a great great-grandson of Tara.
Paewhenua. The hill on which stands the signal station, and the beach below it.
Orongo. The ridge extending from the signal station to the eastern headland of Lyall Bay.
Whitikai. An old name for a place whereat was a small hamlet; either at Tarakena, or by the gully under signal station.
Tarakena. The little bay immediately west of Palmer Head. Site of original pilot station.
Rangitatau. An old time pa of Ngai-Tara. Either on the hill at Palmer Head, or on the next hill westward of it, just above the little bay at Turakena. Remains of defences still visible on latter hill. Tu-tere-moana is said to have lived at Rangitatau. The principal house in the pa was named Raukawa, and the stream hard by is Te Poti. A famed fishing rock off shore is Te Kaiwhatavvhata ; a toka hapuku.
Hua-te-taka. The eastern headland of Lyall Bay. Crawford's map gives Hue-te-para as the name of the sandy beach at Lyall Bay, but none of the natives consulted by the writer knew the name.
Waitaha. A place on the western side ef Lyall Bay, near the stone quarry.
Te Rae-kaihau. The western headland of Lyall Bay. This is one of the original names, the Rae-kaihau of Thorndon is a modern Ngati-Awa name.
Haewai. A place name in Houghton Bay.
Uruhau. A stockaded village of Ngai-Tara on the hill at Island Bay, eastern side of valley, overlooking the beach.
Te Mapunga. Given by Stowell as the name of Island Bay.
Tapu-te-ranga. The island at Island Bay. Crawford gives Tapu-te-rangi as the village on the isthmus, and White gives it as the name of a pa about Point Halswell, but the writer has never been able to obtain corroborotion of these statements.
Paekawakawa. Island Bay valley.
Motuhaku. An unlocated place at or near Island Bay.
Patawa (?). Said to be the name of a rock at Island Bay.
Tawatawa. The range between Island Bay Valley and Happy Valley or Owhiro.
Manawa-karioi. The lands formerly known as Hunter's Farm, near Island Bay.
Owhiro. Happy Valley. Also name of the stream and a Ngati-Awa village near its mouth. An old Ngati-Ira settlement here, where they were attacked by Ngati-Awa.
Te Hapua O Rongomai. The old name of either the mouth of Happy Valley, or of a place a little westward of it, probably the former.
Whare-raurekau. Name of a place between Owhiro and the Red Rocks, or Pari-whero.
Pariwhero. The Red Cliff. Name of the place known to us as the Red Rocks, near Sinclair Head.
Taumata-patiti. A place name at Sinclair Head; includes the karaka grove on the eastern side of the Head, and probably the ridge above it.
Te Rimurapa. Sinclair Head. Said to have been so named on account of the quantity of rimurapa or bull kelp (D' Urvillaea utilis) found there.
Te Kauae O Poua. A rock at or near Sinclair Head.
Mohuia. A rock at Sinclair Head; named after a daughter or niece of Kupe. There are three big rocks off the point, one of which might be termed a rock islet, and another about a quarter of a mile away.
Makure-rua. A stockaded village of Ngati-Mamoe at Te Rimurapa (misprinted Makerua on map). This village was on the hill above the beach.
Waipapa. A stream west of Sinclair Head.
Mangarara. A stream west of Sinclair Head. A Ngati-Awa name.
Te Wai-komaru. A Ngati-Mamoe fortified village. Probably at the Mangarara stream.
Karori Stream. It is doubtful if this was a stream name in pre-European times, or at least in pre-Ngati-Awa days. A reference to the boundaries of the Ngati-Mamoe land grant, giving some old time names, seems to show that the Waikohu stream mentioned may be the Karori stream, or the eastern tributary thereof, which joins the branch flowing from Karori near Opuawe. According to the bearings given it could scarcely be any other, in which case the Wai-pahihi stream would probably be the main Karori stream. The renaming of many places, streams, etc., by the late coming Ngati-Awa has caused much confusion.
Waikohu. A stream. Referred to above.
Waipahihi. A stream. Referred to above.
Tokahaere. Tom's Rock off Tongue Point. Said to have been named after a daughter of Kupe. It was held to be a tipua, an object endowed with supernatural powers. It moved about from place to place until fixed in its present position by means of certain potent charms. A smaller rock near it is said to be its offspring, but the latter is seldom seen.
Te Awa-koria. A small haven or open space in the rocks between Tongue Point and Waiariki.
Waiariki. The stream near the old McMenamin homestead. There is another tipua rook in the bed of this stream that only occasionally showed itself. A Ngati-Awa village at the month of this stream was known as Pirihira.
Te Iringa-a-nui. A place on Section 1, just west of Waiariki, named after a place near Oakura, Taranaki. A hamlet at this place was occupied by the Ngati-Te-Waipango clan of Ngati-Awa.
Tuhinapo. A place just west of Waiariki.
Oterongo. The small bay iust east of Tarawhiti. Site of a village of Ngati-Awa. A taniwha or water monster is said to have abode here in former times.
Putiki. A terrace-like formation at Oterongo.
Tarawhiti. Cape Terawhiti and vicinity. A map of the North Island of 1835, with additions by the Rev. W. Yate, given in Brett's "Early History of New Zealand," shows Tarawiti (nearer to being correct than our Terawhiti), but it is located near Porirua, while Tarawhiti is marked Cape Poriwero, which should be Pariwhero at Sinclair Head. Wellington Harbour is left blank, but two islands are marked at the entrance thereto. Herd's chart of the harbour of 1826 was apparently not made public.
Omere. The seaward range extending from Tarawhiti to a point near Ohau. A. ridge of some fame in song and story, from the summit of which experts were wont to examine the conditions of the Straits when canoes were about to cross, hence the lines of an old -song: -

"Ka rou Omere ki waho
He maunga tutainga aio."

Ohau. The bay at the northern extremity of the Omere range is so called, but, curiously enough, we have no corroboration of this name from a native source. The name of Ohaua, as that of a hamlet at Owhariu, much resembles Ohau. These two names need verification.
Te Ika-a-Maru A very old earthwork pa or fortified place in the bay east of Te-Rama-a-paku and near J. McMenamin's homestead. Of this name the corrupt forms Te Kaminaru and Ti-kamera are in common use.
Opau. A place on the hills between Te lka-a-Maru and Owhariu.
Owhariu. The lands about the mouth and lower reaches of the Mākāra stream.
Ohaua. Said to be the name of a village on the coast at Owhariu. The native village on the right bank of the stream at Owhariu is marked " Friendly Natives " on a map of 1841.
Te Arei. A hamlet of the Ngati-Tama clan on a hill east of above stream, and some distance from the beach.
Mākāra. (First and last vowels long.) The stream that flows from Makara hill northward to Owhariu Bay. In stream names mā is often an abbreviated form of manga (a stream or tributary); thus Mangakara may be the full name.
Te Wharangi. The range crossed by the road from Karori to Makara, from which point it extends S.W. to the forks of the Karori stream, and, in the other direction, it runs west of Wadestown and on to Porirua.
Opuawe. A place on the Karori stream near the junction of the two headwaters. A small forest hamlet of the Ngati-Awa folk was situated here.
Karori. Name of the basin like area still known by this name.
Pahua. Lands between Sinclair Head and Karori.
Raukawa. Native name of Cook Straits.

Part VI. Maori Occupation of Wellington District.

Korero o te Wa I Raraunga I Rauemi I Te Whanganui a Tara I Whakapapa