Kāwhia Harbour

Kāwhia Harbour is one of three large natural inlets in the Tasman Sea coast of the Waikato region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located to the south of Raglan Harbour, Ruapuke and Aotea Harbour, 40 kilometres southwest of Hamilton. Kāwhia is part of the Otorohanga District Council and shares its Mayor and MP.

The settlement of Kāwhia is located on the northern coast of the inlet, and was an important port in early colonial New Zealand. The area of Kāwhia comprises 40 to 50 acres (200,000 m²) and is the town block that was owned by the New Zealand Government. The government bought it from the Europeans in 1880 "not from the original Maori owners, but from the a European who claimed ownership in payment of money owed by another European"

History

The harbour area was the birthplace of prominent Māori warrior chief Te Rauparaha of the Ngāti Toa tribe, who lived in the area until the 1820s.

Kāwhia is known in Māori lore as the final resting-place of the ancestral waka (canoe) Tainui. Soon after arrival, captain Hoturoa made it first priority to establish a whare wananga (sacred school of learning) which was named Ahurei. Ahurei is situated at the summit of the sacred hill behind Kāwhia’s seaside marae – Maketu Marae.