Pohara end may 2022

Because we enjoyed being in Pohara, we decided to go back at the end of may. Bob walked the Pupu Hydro walk for a third time and spotted a young Cormorant on the water race

On the way from Pohara to Tata Beach is a memorial for Abel Tasman who arrived in Golden Bay in 1642. He didn’t land here, being afraid of the in his eyes “hostile” inhabitants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abel_Tasman#

New Zealand

Murderers’ Bay, drawing by Isaack Gilsemans^[18]

Māori haka

After some exploration, Tasman had intended to proceed in a northerly direction but as the wind was unfavourable he steered east. The expedition endured an extremely rough voyage and in one of his diary entries Tasman credited his compass, claiming it was the only thing that had kept him alive.

On 13 December 1642 they sighted land on the north-west coast of the South Island, New Zealand, becoming the first Europeans to sight New Zealand.^[19] Tasman named it Staten Landt “in honour of the States General” (Dutch parliament).^[20] He wrote, “it is possible that this land joins to the Staten Landt but it is uncertain”,^[21] referring to Isla de los Estados, a landmass of the same name at the southern tip of South America, encountered by the Dutch navigator Jacob Le Maire in 1616.^[22] However, in 1643 Brouwer’s expedition to Valdivia found out that Staaten Landt was separated by sea from the hypothetical Southern Land.^[23]^[24]^[25] Tasman continued: “We believe that this is the mainland coast of the unknown Southland.”^[26] Tasman thought he had found the western side of the long-imagined Terra Australis that stretched across the Pacific to near the southern tip of South America.^[27]

After sailing north, then east for five days, the expedition anchored about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the coast off what is now believed to have been Golden Bay. Tasman sent ship’s boats to gather water, but one of his boats was attacked by a war party sent by Ngāti Tūmatakōkiri (a Māori iwi (tribe) who settled in the northwest of the island) in a double-hulled waka (canoe) and four of his men were killed with mere (clubs).

In the evening about one hour after sunset we saw many lights on land and four vessels near the shore, two of which betook themselves towards us. When our two boats returned to the ships reporting that they had found not less than thirteen fathoms of water, and with the sinking of the sun (which sank behind the high land) they had been still about half a mile from the shore. After our people had been on board about one glass, people in the two canoes began to call out to us in gruff, hollow voices. We could not in the least understand any of it; however, when they called out again several times we called back to them as a token answer. But they did not come nearer than a stone’s shot. They also blew many times on an instrument, which produced a sound like the moors’ trumpets. We had one of our sailors (who could play somewhat on the trumpet) play some tunes to them in answer.”^[10]

As Tasman sailed out of the bay he observed 22 waka near the shore, of which “eleven swarming with people came off towards us.” The waka approached the Zeehaen which fired and hit a man in the largest waka holding a small white flag. Canister shot also hit the side of a waka.^[10]^[28] Archaeological research has shown the Dutch had tried to land at a major agricultural area, which the Māori may have been trying to protect.^[29] Tasman named the area “Murderers’ Bay”.

The expedition then sailed north, sighting Cook Strait, which it mistook for a bight and named “Zeehaen’s Bight”. Two names that the expedition gave to landmarks in the far north of New Zealand still endure: Cape Maria van Diemen and Three Kings Islands. (Kaap Pieter Boreels was renamed Cape Egmont by Captain James Cook 125 years later.)

Went for a walk in Wainui Bay and this time walked a bit further untill I came to the sign that directed you to the high tide walk to Taupo point. At low tide you can keep on walking along the seaside. (the following day I walked all the way to Taupo point, see below)

27 May 2022 walking to Taupo Point in Wainui Bay, with flights over the inlet/estuary.

“Just a short walk from Wainui Bay is Taupo Point. Taupo Point was the pa site of the Tumatakokiri tribe whose warriors were thought to have killed 4 of Abel Tasman’s men in 1642. The pits, hollows and terraces of the Maori pa still remain. In 1978 the surrounding hills were ravaged by fire, but Taupo Point was spared. Consequently there is an interesting and diverse flora clinging to this fertile limestone outcrop. Summer evening picnics at Taupo Point are very special. The beach glows under the fading evening light and the kanukas turn a rich, bronze colour which contrasts with the emerald colour of the sea.”

From the carpark it takes 10 minutes to get to the beach and at lo tide you follow the beach all the way to Taupo point in about an hour. there is an alternative route going uphill for when the tide is to high