- Waitākere Ranges Local Board has adopted Māori names for 21 more parks in the local area.
- Paruroa / Armour Bay Reserve will receive new bilingual signage as the exemplar park.
- Two previous tranches have already provided Māori names for 39 parks and two libraries across the local board area.
Nine more parks in the Waitākere Ranges now carry sole Māori names, replacing their existing English ones. The change was formally adopted by the local board at its August business meeting.
The board has also approved Māori names as dual names for 12 parks. The names were adopted as part of tranche three of Te Kete Rukuruku, a culture and identity programme to collect and share the stories unique to Māori in Auckland.
The names, provided by local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki, are deeply connected to the whenua (land). Many reference nearby streams, native bush, and cultural heritage such as the tools used in waka building.
Waitākere Ranges Local Board chair Greg Presland is grateful for the thought and consideration that goes into the names provided by Te Kawerau ā Maki.
“All of the names are magnificent. We are deeply honoured to receive the names for our local parks from Te Kawerau ā Maki.
“I’m proud that our board has played a part in returning Māori names to the whenua where they belong. We believe proper respect for te ao Māori is shown by giving te Reo names primacy,” says Presland.
Bilingual signage at Paruroa / Armour Bay Reserve
Among the 21 parks that will now carry Māori names, Paruroa / Armour Bay Reserve has been selected as the site to receive a narrative sharing the meaning and story behind the Māori name. The name will also be added to existing signage in the park. Signage in the other 20 parks will be changed as it is due for replacement.
A small community event will be organised to unveil the new signage after it has been installed at Paruroa / Armour Bay Reserve, and to celebrate the adoption of the tranche three names.
This latest adoption follows strong support from Waitākere Ranges Local Board for the first two tranches of Te Kete Rukuruku. Across those earlier stages, 39 parks and two libraries were provided Māori names.
Sole Māori names for nine parks (Tranche three)
|
Existing name |
Māori name |
Narrative |
Address |
|
518J West Coast Rd |
Kaurimu |
Kaurimu Stream runs through here. The origin of this name is not currently known. It could relate to a place where there were just rimu. Kau indicates the absence of other things. |
518J West Coast Rd Oratia |
|
Huia Scenic Reserve |
Whakakau |
Whakakau means to 'come into view'. It refers to the view from this reserve out to Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa, the Manukau Harbour. |
Ocean View Road |
|
Inaka Esplanade |
Tāwhara |
Tāwhara are the sweet edible bracts of the kiekie plant, a native vine found in lowland forests and coastal areas. This esplanade is located around the edge Wood Bay. The Te Kawerau ā Maki name for Wood Bay is Te Kai o Poutukeka (the food of Poututeka). Poutukeka was an important tupuna (ancestor) of Te Kawerau ā Maki. He stopped here to reprovision and had a meal of bush food. |
Wood Bay Road |
|
Kaurimu Park |
Kirituna |
Kirituna translates as 'eel skin'. It means to be resilient or thick skinned like this resilient forested area. |
Konini Rd |
|
Laingholm Drive Esplanade |
Maramara Tōtara |
Marama means 'wood chips'. Maramara Tōtara means' wood chips from the tōtara tree'. The name reflects the wood chips created by the toki (adze) that was used to carve the waka in this area. This coastal area was an important site for waka building. |
Laingholm Drive |
|
Pleasant Reserve |
Rahi |
Rahi means 'plentiful or many' and refers to the many resources in this area. It links to the Te Kawerau ā Maki name for Glen Eden - Ōkaurirahi (the place of many large kauri) . |
89 Pleasant Road Glen Eden |
|
Raroa Park |
Hiwa |
Hiwa is a short version of 'Hiwa i te rangi', one of the stars in the Matariki cluster. Hiwa i te rangi is known as the wishing star. This links with the wishes of Mr and Mrs Douglas, who created the adjacent subdivision and the wish of local iwi Te Kawerau ā Maki for the area to be kept in pristine native bush. |
37 Raroa Terrace, Waiatarua |
|
Waituna Park Scenic Reserve |
Wāhimore |
Wāhimore means 'place of kauri and fresh water fish'. The name links to Woodlands the name of this area, and the freshwater fish in the nearby streams. 'Wāhi' can mean a place or locality. 'More' is a freshwater fish, but also refers to the reddish wood of some kauri trees. |
51G Rimutaka Place |
|
Waikomiti Esplanade |
Waiuru |
Wai means water and uru means west. This park is on the western bank of the Waituna River. |
Woodlands Park Road Titirangi |
Dual Māori names for 12 parks (Tranche three)
|
Existing name |
Māori Name |
Address |
|
Armour Bay Reserve |
Paruroa |
2 Armour Road |
|
Claridge Street Common |
Pakiaka |
45 Woodglen Road |
|
Douglas Scenic Reserve |
Hiwa |
Rimu Road / Atarua Gardens |
|
Fawcett Esplanade |
Toki |
1 Fawcett Road and 235 Laingholm Drive |
|
Fawcett Scenic Reserve |
Toki |
Fawcett Road |
|
Handley Plantation Reserve |
Honokauri |
18A Kauri Loop Road |
|
Olive Grove |
Hāpua |
50 Verdale Circle |
|
Osman Street Common |
Piripiri |
6 Osman Street |
|
Prospect Park |
Uru kahika |
13 Pieces Road |
|
Sandys Parade |
Waihanga Waka |
Laingholm Foreshore |
|
Shays Reserve |
Oro |
65-85 Wirihana Road |
|
Upland Glade |
Pounamu |
31 Upland Road |
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