Taihiki River
| Taihiki River | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Mouth of the Taihiki River .png)  Taihiki River (New Zealand) | |
Route of the Taihiki River | |
| Native name | Taihiki Awa (Māori)[1] |
| Location | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | Auckland Region |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Patumāhoe |
| • coordinates | 37°10′44″S 174°49′59″E / 37.17893°S 174.83318°E |
| Mouth | Waiuku River |
• coordinates | 37°09′14″S 174°42′19″E / 37.154°S 174.7052°E |
| Length | 14 km (9 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Taihiki River → Waiuku River → Manukau Harbour → Tasman Sea |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Mauku Stream |
| Bridges | Mauku Bridge |
The Taihiki River is a river of the Auckland Region of New Zealand's North Island. It flows generally west from its sources north of Patumāhoe to reach the Waiuku River shortly before the latter's outflow into the Manukau Harbour. As with the Waiuku River, much of the Taihiki's length is as a wide silty estuary.
Geography
The river rises north of Patumāhoe, becoming a wide tidal estuary northwest of Glenbrook Road.[2][3][4] Most of the river catchment is rural.[5]
The Mauku Stream is a tributary of the river,[3] and the Taihiki River flows into the Waiuku River, between Glenbrook Beach and Clarks Beach.[3] The tidal estuary mouth of the river is composed of sandy intertidal flats, including mangroves and saltmarsh pockets.[5] The left bank of the river mouth to the south is known as Kahawai Point,[6] while the right bank to the north is called Waitete Point.[7] Waitete Point is the location of the Waiau Pa Historic Reserve.[8]
Biodiversity
The river is a nursery area for New Zealand sand flounder and the Flathead grey mullet.[5]
History
The river has historical significance to Māori iwi including Waiohua iwi Ngāti Tamaoho and Ngāti Te Ata, Waikato Tainui hapū Ngāti Tipa and Ngāti Paoa .[9] Numerous archaeological sites are found on the Taihiki River, predominantly shell middens, as well as defended pā sites, pits and terraces.[9] The river is an important fishery, traditionally known for its large fish populations.[1] Waitete Pā at the river mouth was the primary defensive pā for the wider area of settlements, with Kahawai Point to the south being a major settlement.[1] Waitete Pā was occupied by Ngāti Whātua in 1835, at the end of Musket Wars hostilities.[9]
In 1856, the Clark family became the first European settlers in the Taihiki River area, followed by other families in the 1850s and 1860s.[9] The Mauku Hotel was opened on the Taihiki River in 1861.[9]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 Ngāti Tamaoho; Ngāti Tamaoho Settlement Trust; The Crown (30 April 2017). Deed of Settlement of Historical Claims (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Government. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Place name detail: Taihiki River". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Mills, Geoff (February 2014). Waiuku Estuary: Aquatic Environment Information Review (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. ISBN 978-1-927266-85-4. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ Shoreline Adaptation Plan: Manukau South. Report Series 1 2023 (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. May 2023. ISBN 978-1-99-106075-4. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 Kelly, S. (2008). Environmental condition and values of Manukau Harbour (PDF) (Report). Auckland Regional Council. ISBN 978-1-877540-27-1. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Place name detail: Kahawai Point". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Place name detail: Waitete Point". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- ↑ "Place name detail: Waiau Pa Historic Reserve". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 14 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Campbell, Matthew (28 October 2025). Orawaahi, 156 Clarks Beach Road: archaeological assessment report to Knight Investments (PDF) (Report). CFG Heritage. Retrieved 14 July 2026.