Waikokopu
Encyclopedia
Waikokopu is a small coastal settlement in northern Hawke Bay
, New Zealand, where the Waikokopu stream forms a small tidal estuary
between two prominent headlands. ‘Waikokopu’ translates from Māori
as 'water' or 'river' of the kokopu
' http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/nz/online/ngata/e2mdictionary, kokopu being any one of three species of small native fresh-water fish. Waikokopu is about 40 km east of Wairoa
, the principal town in northern Hawke Bay, at 39°04′22.71"S 177°49′30.27"E.
(canoes) and the site of Māori settlements. By 1832 (8 years before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
) it was the site of the first coastal whaling
station in the northern Hawkes Bay, run by an American named Ward http://www.voyagemahia.com/about-the-region/waikokopu_history.asp. Other whaling stations were established in the same general area, and the whales were soon depleted as an economic resource.
By 1876 wool was being loaded out from Waikokopu to ships waiting offshore http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WilThro-t1-body1-d1-d31-d1.html. By 1910 volumes had increased to the point where a port
company was formed to improve facilities for the loading out of farm produce. Mr EB Bendall was appointed Harbour master.
's river harbour was difficult of access and had a dangerous bar
. This prohibited its use by ships of any size, and prevented full exploitation of the region's economic potential. As Waikokopu offered the best port development potential in the region, Parliament in 1915 authorised a private railway from Wairoa to Waikokopu. Apart from a preliminary survey nothing was done about this line during the war years, or for two years thereafter because of the possible establishment of a rail link from Wairoa to Gisborne via an inland route.
However by 1920 the Wairoa River
harbour was virtually unusable because of silting of the bar at the river mouth. Due to the urgency of the situation, the lack of progress on the inland railway route, and the business community's inability to raise the necessary capital, the Government agreed to build the line to Waikokopu.
Despite some difficulties during the building of the line, and the need to flatten a small hill at Waikokopu to create a flat area for the rail yards, the first through train from Wairoa to Waikokopu ran on 17 July 1923. From 1921 to 1923 the Government had expended ₤352,790 on the project. However the port company had failed in its attempts to create an inner harbour at Waikokopu, and the Government had to authorise expenditure of a further ₤78,000 for 'the immediate erection of safe berthing facilities'. The work was speedily completed, and the first of many shipments of frozen meat went out via the new railway line and port in August 1924.
During further development of the port in 1925 the ship Talune was stripped, filled with rocks and sunk to form a breakwater to protect the wharf from the Southerly swells. The Talune was notorious as the ship on which the 1918 pandemic influenza reached Samoa
, killing over 20% of the population.
From 1929 and through the 30's heavy equipment and iron work for the Waikaremoana
power project was brought ashore at Waikokopu, railed to Wairoa, and then carted up to the lake by bullock wagon and traction engines. Also in the 1930s, during the building of the Napier
to Wairoa section of the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
, the steelwork for the Mohaka viaduct was landed at the port and railed to the Mohaka river
work site.
In 1924, an engineer's report recommended the branch be incorporated as the southernmost portion of a new coastal rail route from Wairoa to Gisborne. The originally proposed inland rail route from Wairoa to Gisborne was abandoned, and by 1942 the Wairoa - Waikokopu section was incorporated into the Palmerston North - Gisborne line. Easy transport to Gisborne
and Napier
via rail gave Wairoa access to superior port facilities, and Waikokopu reverted to a small fishing establishment and a base for servicing the lighthouse
on Portland Island, off the south end of the Mahia Peninsula
, until the light was automated in 1984.
In September 1886, the wreck of the schooner Cleopatra was found bottom up on the beach at Waikokopu, where it rapidly broke up. The schooner had been bound from Thames
to Lyttelton
with a cargo of timber. It was supposed the schooner was capsized at sea during a heavy gale with the loss of all six crew members. The Cleopatra was of 92 tons, 82 feet long, and had been built in Auckland
in 1867.
In November 1900, the cutter Coralie encountered a strong south-westerly wind and ran for shelter at Waikokopu during a voyage from Gisborne
to Napier
. The next day the wind shifted to the south, blowing 'with terrific force'. Both anchors were let go and for a while the cutter rode safely, but as there was no sign of the sea abating the three crew decided to get ashore as soon as possible. After a perilous trip in the dinghy the crew landed safely, but after a short time the storm increased and their ship was driven ashore where the surf quickly broke it up. The Coralie was 47 feet long, of 29 tons register, and had been built in 1874.
. The old port is probably now best known to the world at large as an access point for the Rolling Stones surf break on the southern headland.
Hawke Bay
Hawke Bay is a large bay on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It stretches from the Mahia Peninsula in the northeast to Cape Kidnappers in the southwest, a distance of some 100 kilometres....
, New Zealand, where the Waikokopu stream forms a small tidal estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
between two prominent headlands. ‘Waikokopu’ translates from Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
as 'water' or 'river' of the kokopu
Kokopu
Kokopu is a common name used for three species of fish of the genus Galaxias. They are found in the rivers, lakes and swamps of New Zealand for which they are endemic. Kokopu are galaxiids and like others members of that family lacks scales and has a thick, leathery skin covered with mucus. Kokopu...
' http://www.learningmedia.co.nz/nz/online/ngata/e2mdictionary, kokopu being any one of three species of small native fresh-water fish. Waikokopu is about 40 km east of Wairoa
Wairoa
Wairoa is a town in New Zealand's North Island. It is the northernmost town in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mahia Peninsula...
, the principal town in northern Hawke Bay, at 39°04′22.71"S 177°49′30.27"E.
Early days
In Māori times Waikokopu was a landing place for wakaWaka (canoe)
Waka are Māori watercraft, usually canoes ranging in size from small, unornamented canoes used for fishing and river travel, to large decorated war canoes up to long...
(canoes) and the site of Māori settlements. By 1832 (8 years before the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi
Treaty of Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty first signed on 6 February 1840 by representatives of the British Crown and various Māori chiefs from the North Island of New Zealand....
) it was the site of the first coastal whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
station in the northern Hawkes Bay, run by an American named Ward http://www.voyagemahia.com/about-the-region/waikokopu_history.asp. Other whaling stations were established in the same general area, and the whales were soon depleted as an economic resource.
By 1876 wool was being loaded out from Waikokopu to ships waiting offshore http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WilThro-t1-body1-d1-d31-d1.html. By 1910 volumes had increased to the point where a port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
company was formed to improve facilities for the loading out of farm produce. Mr EB Bendall was appointed Harbour master.
Railway and port
WairoaWairoa
Wairoa is a town in New Zealand's North Island. It is the northernmost town in the Hawke's Bay region, and is located on the northern shore of Hawke Bay at the mouth of the Wairoa River and to the west of Mahia Peninsula...
's river harbour was difficult of access and had a dangerous bar
Bar (landform)
A shoal, sandbar , or gravelbar is a somewhat linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sandspit is a type of shoal...
. This prohibited its use by ships of any size, and prevented full exploitation of the region's economic potential. As Waikokopu offered the best port development potential in the region, Parliament in 1915 authorised a private railway from Wairoa to Waikokopu. Apart from a preliminary survey nothing was done about this line during the war years, or for two years thereafter because of the possible establishment of a rail link from Wairoa to Gisborne via an inland route.
However by 1920 the Wairoa River
Wairoa River, Hawke's Bay
The Wairoa River runs south for 65 kilometres from the inland east coast region of New Zealand's North Island, west of Gisborne, before flowing into northern Hawke Bay at the town of Wairoa....
harbour was virtually unusable because of silting of the bar at the river mouth. Due to the urgency of the situation, the lack of progress on the inland railway route, and the business community's inability to raise the necessary capital, the Government agreed to build the line to Waikokopu.
Despite some difficulties during the building of the line, and the need to flatten a small hill at Waikokopu to create a flat area for the rail yards, the first through train from Wairoa to Waikokopu ran on 17 July 1923. From 1921 to 1923 the Government had expended ₤352,790 on the project. However the port company had failed in its attempts to create an inner harbour at Waikokopu, and the Government had to authorise expenditure of a further ₤78,000 for 'the immediate erection of safe berthing facilities'. The work was speedily completed, and the first of many shipments of frozen meat went out via the new railway line and port in August 1924.
During further development of the port in 1925 the ship Talune was stripped, filled with rocks and sunk to form a breakwater to protect the wharf from the Southerly swells. The Talune was notorious as the ship on which the 1918 pandemic influenza reached Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
, killing over 20% of the population.
From 1929 and through the 30's heavy equipment and iron work for the Waikaremoana
Lake Waikaremoana
Lake Waikaremoana is located in Te Urewera National Park in the North Island of New Zealand, 60 kilometres northwest of Wairoa and 80 kilometres southwest of Gisborne. It covers an area of 54 km². From the Maori Waikaremoana translates as 'sea of rippling waters'The lake lies in the heart of Tuhoe...
power project was brought ashore at Waikokopu, railed to Wairoa, and then carted up to the lake by bullock wagon and traction engines. Also in the 1930s, during the building of the Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
to Wairoa section of the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
Palmerston North - Gisborne Line
The Palmerston North – Gisborne Line is a secondary main line railway in the North Island of New Zealand. It branches from the North Island Main Trunk Railway in Palmerston North and runs east through the Manawatu Gorge to Woodville, where it meets the Wairarapa Line, and then proceeds to...
, the steelwork for the Mohaka viaduct was landed at the port and railed to the Mohaka river
Mohaka River
The Mohaka River is a river in the northern Hawke's Bay region of the eastern North Island of New Zealand. It flows east-southeast for 70 kilometres from the Ahimanawa Range, before flowing into Hawke Bay close to the settlement of Mohaka, 20 kilometres southwest of Wairoa.New Zealand's highest...
work site.
In 1924, an engineer's report recommended the branch be incorporated as the southernmost portion of a new coastal rail route from Wairoa to Gisborne. The originally proposed inland rail route from Wairoa to Gisborne was abandoned, and by 1942 the Wairoa - Waikokopu section was incorporated into the Palmerston North - Gisborne line. Easy transport to Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
and Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
via rail gave Wairoa access to superior port facilities, and Waikokopu reverted to a small fishing establishment and a base for servicing the lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
on Portland Island, off the south end of the Mahia Peninsula
Mahia Peninsula
The Mahia Peninsula is located on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island, between the cities of Napier and Gisborne.-Geography:The peninsula is long and wide rising to its highest point at Rahuimokairoa reaching about above sea level. Mahia was initially an island which over time, has had...
, until the light was automated in 1984.
Wrecks at Waikokopu
Two ships are recorded as having been wrecked at Waikokopu, in 1886 and 1900.In September 1886, the wreck of the schooner Cleopatra was found bottom up on the beach at Waikokopu, where it rapidly broke up. The schooner had been bound from Thames
Thames, New Zealand
Thames is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council....
to Lyttelton
Lyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
with a cargo of timber. It was supposed the schooner was capsized at sea during a heavy gale with the loss of all six crew members. The Cleopatra was of 92 tons, 82 feet long, and had been built in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in 1867.
In November 1900, the cutter Coralie encountered a strong south-westerly wind and ran for shelter at Waikokopu during a voyage from Gisborne
Gisborne, New Zealand
-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
to Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
. The next day the wind shifted to the south, blowing 'with terrific force'. Both anchors were let go and for a while the cutter rode safely, but as there was no sign of the sea abating the three crew decided to get ashore as soon as possible. After a perilous trip in the dinghy the crew landed safely, but after a short time the storm increased and their ship was driven ashore where the surf quickly broke it up. The Coralie was 47 feet long, of 29 tons register, and had been built in 1874.
Waikokopu today
Today, Waikokopu has only a few houses, and little evidence of its industrial past is visible. The wharf has been reduced to rubble by southerly swells, and only a few boats use the small harbour. The remains of the wharf and breakwater can be clearly seen on Google earthGoogle Earth
Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program that was originally called EarthViewer 3D, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a Central Intelligence Agency funded company acquired by Google in 2004 . It maps the Earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite...
. The old port is probably now best known to the world at large as an access point for the Rolling Stones surf break on the southern headland.
External links
- Māori - English dictionary
- Early history of the region
- Mention of Waikokopu in the 1870s
- Development of the railway
- Surfing in the area, including the Rolling Stones
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPL48F-WAqE This youtube link shows the view from a modern excursion train entering Waikokopu from the direction of Wairoa. The train curves left over the road to cross the inlet on the 1940s railway embankment. Originally the line paralleled the road to end at the wharf, the remains of which are out of sight on the right hand side of the train as it crosses the inlet.]