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Ferry to Church Bay walk
Introduction
| Walkway guide and map
| Additional information
 |
Pied shag dries its wings at Matiatia Bay.
There is a lot of bird life to see on this walk. |
|
Walkway guide and map
Guide yourself around the track.
The ferry to Church Bay walk begins and ends at Matiatia Beach near the ferry
terminal.
Follow the path along the beach, across the footbridge and up the hill. From
the lookout continue following the coastline track to Church Bay. Walk along the
beach and take the track along the fence line to the top of the hill. Turn left
up the Bull Paddock Track and then left again when you reach Church Bay Road.
The Mudbrick Vineyard and Restaurant is signposted on the right.Continue down
the road turning left down Nick Johnstone Drive. About 100m on the right take the
southern entrance track back through Atawhai Whenua Reserve to return you to Matiatia
and the ferry terminal.
The information below corresponds with the numbers on the map and tells you about
each of these places. Numbers 5, 7 and 8 will have yellow disks placed around the
walkway.
| 1 |
The land from Surfdale west through to Matiatia was once
known as 'Greater' Te Huruhi from 1869 to 1914. It covered 2,100 acres and
was one of the last areas of Maori (Ngati Paoa) owned land on Waiheke. In
1877 Reverend Baker reported that there were about 70 people in the 'Greater'
Te Huruhi area with three Kainga (villages) - Te Huruhi (Blackpool), Hangaura
(Church Bay) and Matiatia.
The picket fence enclosure on the foreshore belongs to Ropata Te Roa.
Until his sudden death in 1894, he was the driving force for the bay's farming
ventures and was owner-operator of sailing vessels that took produce to
the Auckland markets.
|
| 2 |
Atawhai Whenua means "a kindness to the land". The Wood
Pigeon sculpture is in memory of Don Chapple who invested many years creating
this haven for native birds. Walk quietly and see how many different species
you can find! |
| 3 |
Waiheke has always been a sought after, transient location.
This makes it difficult for historians to piece together information about
its past. Archaeologists suggest that Mokemoke headland (seen across the
bay) was a fortified pa site most likely of Ngati Huarere construction built
somewhere between 200 to 500 years ago. |
| 4 |
The first pakeha landowner, Fred Alison, gifted this headland
to a Maori family in appreciation for saving his nephew from drowning |
| 5 |
Church Bay (Hangaura) is the location of the first church
on Waiheke Island. It would be another 100 years before pakeha built their
first church in Oneroa. Chief Wiremu Hoete of Huruhi was an early convert
to Christianity, eventually becoming a priest. His people built the first
raupo chapel in 1833.
In the 1880's, money for a wooden church was raised by the 'Greater'
Te Huruhi Maori, not a small feat for a small community! By 1882 the 12
x 18ft Anglican Church (250m back from the beach) was ready for services.
Church Bay became the hub of the sheep farming operation for Te Huruhi and
vegetables continued to be cultivated for the Auckland Markets.
|
| 6 |
Motukaha Island is now a restoration project by the Department
of Conservation and Auckland Regional Council. |
| 7 |
A headstone honours Pio Rehutai Te Uri Karaka at the entrance
to the reserve. Pio's family donated land at Hangaru (Church Bay) for the
first Church on Waiheke Island. He became the leading resident of Hangaura
serving as one of the last Lay Preachers at the Anglican church in the 1890's.
He was highly respected in the Te Huruhi area. |
| 8 |
Fine produce continues to grow in this region. Waiheke's
successful grape and wine production can be attributed to higher daytime
temperatures with less rainfall, more sunshine hours and cooler nights,
than many other parts of Auckland.
Established in 1992 Mudbrick Vineyard and restaurant is world renowned
for its fine cuisine and handcrafted wines. The organic portager gardens
are not only picturesque but also provide fresh cuisine for the restaurant.
They are open for wine tasting everyday of the year.
|
| 9 |
'Greater' Te Huruhi was gradually sold in the 1900's by
the Alisons' who were one of the first pakeha owners. The Alisons' two-storey
homestead is still a prominent building at Matiatia. |
You can also download the map in PDF format:
Ferry to Church Bay walk (149kb PDF)
To view PDFs download Acrobat Reader from the
Adobe website.
Further help on how to view PDFs.
Published December 2008
