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Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa & Rangitāne o Wairarapa

Wairarapa Moana

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa. Wairarapa Moana, meaning “sea of glistening waters”, comprises Lake Wairarapa – the third largest lake in the North Island – and Lake Onoke (also known as Lake Ferry), which naturally opens and closes to the sea. Lakes Pounui and Nganoke are also lakes of significant natural and cultural value in southern Wairarapa, both located on private property.

A collection of lake stories

Honouring a strong story-telling tradition, the Lakes380 iwi rohe study has focussed on producing an online collection of filmed interviews with members of the Wairarapa community who are dedicated to restoring the ecological health and mauri of their lakes. This repository of stories holds diverse personal memories, cultural knowledge and scientific information that enriches our understanding and appreciation of these taonga (treasures). These documentaries are shared with the intention of informing and supporting the many ecological restoration efforts underway to improve the health of Wairarapa Moana and, in turn, to uplift the cultural and social wellbeing within Wairarapa communities.

lakestoriesnz.org WEBSITE LINK
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Lake Nganoke

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Pounui

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Onoke

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Barton’s Lagoon

Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Rototawai

Wairarapa

Wellington

Matthews Lagoon

Wairarapa

Wellington

Significant to many

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa. Their tribal pūrākau (stories), mātauranga Māori (knowledge) and whakataukī (proverbs) signal the importance of these waterbodies for physical nourishment and spiritual sustenance over many generations. Marae, pā sites, and seasonal fishing settlements populated the lake margins, and tuna (eels) especially were a significant resource for the local population.

Extensive wetland drainage and flood protection works, initially for sheep farming and more recently the dairy industry, have significantly altered the hydrology of the lakes. Together with the diversion of the Ruamāhanga River and forest clearance throughout the catchment, these changes have contributed to dramatic impacts on lake water quality and quantity and aquatic flora and fauna. Sediment cores taken from the lakes by the Lakes380 team record these changes over time, as well as major natural hazard events such as the 1855 earthquake.

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Home

Our Lakes

  • All Lakes
  • Regions
    • Northland
    • Auckland
    • Waikato
    • Bay of Plenty
    • Hawke’s Bay
    • Taranaki
    • Manawatū/Whanganui
    • Wellington
    • Tasman
    • West Coast
    • Marlborough
    • Canterbury
    • Otago
    • Southland
  • Coastal Lakes
  • Lowland Lakes
  • Highland Lakes
  • Alpine Lakes

About

  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Virtual Experience
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners

Resources

  • Contact & Links
  • Blog, News & Publications
  • Video Gallery
  • Results
  • Glossary