Treaty Settlement Renames Iconic Sites In Central North Island
Eleven name changes to mountains, a lake, scenic reserves and other places have been made following the treaty settlement of iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua.
The changes gazetted by Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa New Zealand Geographic Board include seven new and altered geographic names, including two Crown-protected area names.
Four Crown-protected area names have been discontinued.
Lake Hawkes, a lake 19km west-northwest of Waimarino, which feeds into Waikauwau Stream, is now Lake Pohoare.
Mount Dawson, 24km west-northwest of Waimarino, is now Ōruru Maunga.
Tahora, a small site on State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway, 14km north-northeast of Whangamōmona, is now Tahorapāroa, and Tahora Saddle, a pass on the highway about 10km north-northeast of Whangamōmona, is now Tahorapāroa Saddle.
The fifth altered name is Mount Humphries in the Matemateaonga Range, 45km east of Stratford, which becomes Whakaihuwaka Maunga.
A new Crown-protected area name has been created.
A large scenic reserve extending from immediately west of Waimarino, south to Horopito, has been named Ngātokoerua Scenic Reserve.
The reserve has been created through the reclassification of Erua Conservation Area and Erua Forest Sanctuary as a scenic reserve.
Another Crown-protected area - a scenic reserve on State Highway 43 Forgotten World Highway, about 15km north-northeast of Whangamōmona - has been changed from Tahora Scenic Reserve to Tahorapāroa Scenic Reserve.
The names Erua Forest Sanctuary (for a sanctuary area 6km south-southwest of Waimarino), Ngapakihi Scenic Reserve and Raetihi Scenic Reserve (for scenic reserves immediately south of Raetihi), and Pipiriki Scenic Reserve (for a scenic reserve at Pipiriki) have been discontinued.
The Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Act 2025 came into effect in March, bringing an end to decades of claims work by the people of Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki (represented collectively as Te Korowai o Wainuiārua) over breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Geographic Board gazetted the changes last week.
In December last year, Land Information Minister Chris Penk approved changing the name of National Park Village to Waimarino, following a request by Te Korowai o Wainuiārua researchers.
Waimarino is the original Māori name for the area, referring to "calm waters" pooling on the plains as they leave the mountain.
The Geographic Board considered more than 2000 submissions on the proposal.
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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Ngāwhā Springs: Once a few muddy hot pools, now a $4.3m Northland tourist attraction
Cross now manages what has become a major tourist attraction in Northland after a $4.3 million revamp, the result of a decade of planning by Parahirahi Ngāwhā Waiariki Trust amid a divisive and still-unresolved Waitangi Tribunal claim by Ngāpuhi. Ngāwhā Springs manager Moana Cross remembers when the springs were a series of muddy pools run by volunteers. Photo / Michael Botur Several government agencies helped fund the redevelopment of the 16 main pools, completed in April 2021, which included stain-resistant buildings and changing rooms set back from the fumes, new carvings, a teahouse and a manuka palisade fence - an improvement on the sulphur-stained planks held together with wire and crates. 'We didn't even have fencing in some parts when I was a child,' Cross recalls. 'The pools were really basic … the floors were muddy. When I volunteered as a teenager we had wooden paths. The complex itself, the wood, the nails, deteriorated really quickly because of the minerals in the air and there were lots of sulphur deposits.' Eleven pou (carved post-statues) have been installed, representing the tūpuna (ancestors) of the Parahirahi hapū. The carver also created likenesses of the pools' guardian taniwha, Takuere, who is said to sometimes appear through early morning rainbows in the mist. The carved pou at Ngāwhā Springs. Staff who used to come as kids or volunteers are now employed at the springs, learning customer service, computer skills, or mirimiri (traditional Māori massage). The 'World Famous in Northland' hot springs, 5km east of Kaikohe, expanded after the trust bought eight private pools on land once owned by the Ginn family. And it has leased the use of seven other pools, traditionally known as The Domain, from the Far North District Council. 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Anybody can hop in any pool and kōrero confidentially with anyone even though temperatures may rise. The hottest pools - the Bulldog and Universal - can hit almost 50°C before being closed off to the public. Chatting to strangers is exactly what regulars come for, trustee Nathan Bryers says, explaining the springs are a place for 'good wānanga' [education /knowledge] from various people chatting across various pools. 'If you come to the early morning sessions, you hear from the old ones how to save the world,' Cross laughs. During the Herald's visit on a crisp Friday evening in June, South Auckland couple Margaret and Ken Drury - both covered in colourful tattoos – shared the Kotahitanga Pool with a cleanskin stranger, chatting about Ukraine's future. Ken and Margaret Drury, from Drury, South Auckland, soaking in the Kotahitanga Pool at Ngāwhā Springs. Photo / Michael Botur In the Tāne Mahuta pool, a one-legged man soaked with members of the Ngāwhā Trust who were preparing for a board meeting. At the same time, a bone-tired cyclist stopped in for his weekly dip, and a group of Aucklanders, supporting their ex-con mate covered in gang tattoos, talked about Kaikohe's wonderful new drug rehab centre. To ensure locals aren't priced out of a soak, the trust has a tiered pricing structure: a two-hour session is $6 for locals; $15 for Northlanders; and $34 for other visitors. The private pools, called Ngāpuna (which means the springs/drinkable spring) have sandy bottoms and are bubblier than the muddier Ngāwhā Springs. The private pools are available on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at a cost $300 for a two-hour session (two to 10 bathers). Extra bathers $30 each, maximum of 30 people. The Ngāpuna pools are open to the public on Monday and Tuesday; general entry, $20 per person; Northland concession, $10. Cross says the trust wanted to look out for locals who had used the pools all their lives. The old entrance to Ngāwhā Springs before the development. 'They needed to have a price that reflected the economy in this town.' By 'reflecting the economy', Cross means keeping prices affordable in New Zealand's poorest region, where the median income is just $545 per week. Feedback on trip review sites is mixed. On Yelp, a Californian gives the pools five stars and writes 'This place is a hidden gem. It's dirt cheap to get in and well, there's lot of dirt all around'. Others, on Ranker and TripAdvisor, have described the pools as 'Small holes in the ground filled with dubiously looking, stinky, muddy water' and warned it's 'A great place to meet locals and enjoy a warm bath, but you stink of rotten eggs for a long time afterward'. Mangamuka resident Mate O'Sullivan has been bringing her two mokopuna up from Porirua to get to know the pools just like she did when she was their age. 'There's a lot of whakapapa kōrero (conversations about people's ancestry) in the pools,' she says. Mate O'Sullivan, from Mangamuka in Northland, favours a full immersion at Ngāwhā Springs. Photo/ Michael Botur She feels 'compelled to get the full tinana (body) stretch', she says, including dunking her head against the lifeguards' repeated advice about the risk of amoebic meningitis. She believes the ritual helps with healing pain from old birth-related complications as well as the spiritual pain of partner Ivan passing away in 2024. The mineral-rich Ngāwhā Springs (Ngāwhā means geothermal or boiling spring) have long been revered for their healing properties. The Solomon pool is said to be best for skin complaints; the Favourite is known for easing chest congestion. The spring water is untreated but the pools are drained on Mondays and Tuesdays before they gradually refill with hot groundwater. 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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
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Scoop
28-07-2025
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Momentum builds for Treasures of Tāmaki Makaurau
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Kiko Tours – Guided tours offering intimate, bicultural journeys through Tāmaki Makaurau. Discover te ao Māori through storytelling, kai and kōrero, while exploring some of the region's most beautiful natural landscapes. Te Manu Taupua – Powerful cultural experiences led by direct descendants of Auckland's founding chief. Walk ancestral lands, hear sacred stories and witness Māori resilience from survivalism to thrivalism. Cruise New Zealand – Private luxury yacht charters from Auckland's Viaduct Harbour. Explore the Hauraki Gulf in style with personalised service, stunning views and unforgettable on-water experiences. Wolfgramm Holdings –Experience an immersive day at a traditional marae, guided by proud cultural hosts. Includes powhiri, haka, weaving, poi making and kai. 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