The full-name of Waikawa, also known as Portland or Koura Island, is Te Waikawa-a-Māui, referencing Māui smearing his hook with his own blood for bait, ‘wai’ referring to liquid and ‘kawa’ referring to the associated sacred protocols. One of Māui’s descendents, Ruawharo, arrived in Aotearoa on the waka Takitimu, he carried much ancestral knowledge, including history of Māui.
Ruawharo chose Waikawa as the spot to establish a special university which he called Ngā-heru-mai-tawhiti in reference to Māui’s heru, hair comb, being planted in the soil there. Ruawharo chose Waikawa for his university due to this sacred connection and it became a major east coast spiritual centre and place of learning.
Waikawa was also once a key whaling site and a centre for production of double barbed fishing hooks fashioned in the same style as Māui’s own double barbed hook. Sources: Wairoa Museum and Ngahiwi Tomoana.
Waikawa
-39.293379674524054, 177.86725115290864
Visiting Info
Waikawa (Portland Island) is located off the tip of the Mahia Peninsula. It is not easily accessible as a large part of the peninsula is Māori owned land managed by Tawapata South Inc on behalf of the owners.
Tawapata South have partnered with Rocket Lab whose launch site is located near the tip of the peninsula looking across to Waikawa. So what was once a place of arrival for waka across the Pacific, is now a place of departure for rockets heading into space. On a clear day you can see Waikawa from most of Hawke’s Bay’s inner coastline if you look to the end of the peninsula.
