Manakitia nga manu o Manukapua
Fostering the Birds of Manukapua
Image supplied by: Shawn Stevens, Tapora
Mission
Kia Puawai ai Nga Taonga o Manukapua
Fostering the Birds of Manukapua
Kia Puawai ai ngā taonga o Manukapua fostering the birds of Manukapua is a project and Kaupapa of the Tapora Land and Coast Care Group. Manukapua, also known as Big Sand Island, is found on the Western side of the Tapora peninsula, which stretches out into the entrance of the Kaipara harbour, New Zealand Aotearoa’s largest estuarine ecosystem and one of the largest in the southern hemisphere.
Manukapua and the Okahukura reserve opposite Manukapua on the mainland holds spiritual, historical and cultural significance to Ngāti Whātua. ‘This is the birthplace of Ngāti Whātua and we as manawhenua and community want to respect and value this in fostering the return and protecting the manu (birds),’ says Tapora Land-Coast Care Group Chair, Earle Wright.
Manukapua is a cultural significant site registered under the Treaty of Waitangi Te Uri o Hau Settlement Act 2002 (s.14) in the form of a kirihipi overlay, which requires particular values and views of Te Uri o Hau be given attention.
‘A key objective of Kia Puawai ai ngā taonga o Manukapua Project is to eradicate pest animals like stoats, rats, pigs and cats and remove weed infestations that have thrived. Then we can restore and bring back habitats of native indigenous vegetation and fauna’. Says Earle.
Fire, pollution and four-wheel off road and vehicle driving are major concerns for the Tapora community and manawhenua.
‘These are fragile ecosystems and rare species such as fairy terns that cannot cope with ongoing disturbance and so can not thrive. There are also waahi tapu that are not respected and valued which is wrong. Activities and use of these special places need to be respectful and caring so that manu can thrive and the spiritual and cultural values protected’.
‘Raising awareness is a huge part of this kaupapa. This is my home and continuing the storytelling of this place is a personal journey for me.’
Tapora Land-Coast Care Group received Department of Conservation community funding for the next three years to support the implementation of Kia Puawai ai ngā Taonga o Manukapua project.
Te wahi timata o Ngati Whatua
This is the first place of Ngati Whatua
History
In Māori tradition, Māhūhū-ki-te-rangi (also known as Māhūhū) was one of the great ocean-going, voyaging canoes that was used in the migrations that settled New Zealand.
The waka Māhūhū-ki-te-rangi explored the upper reaches of the North Island north of the Kaipara Harbour during early Māori settlement of New Zealand. Its crew explored Whangaroa, Tākou and Whangaruru. They continued south before returning to Pārengarenga and sailing down the west coast. Rongomai is noted to have brought the Mahuhu o Te Rangi waka into the Kaipara harbour and settled at Taporapoa. A large Whare was believed to be erected and decendants of Mahuhu lived quite happily from the abundance of the Kaipara and Okahukura.
Following the departure of Māhūhū-ki-te-rangi for North Cape a great storm devastated the island of Taporapora with the remaining inhabitants, their taonga and whare were washed away. This is refered to as ‘the shaving off’ with only parts of the former Taporapora site visible at low tide. A part of Manukapua still exists today.
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