The Tuia Mātauranga GeoTour is about having fun discovering the history of Aotearoa New Zealand by finding sites of significance in local communities from early Pacific voyaging and migration, European settlement to present day. The interaction between people, and people and the land have provided a rich history that the GeoTour invites you to explore.
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Te Ana, previously known as Dampier Bay, is located on the north side of Lyttelton Harbour (Whakaraupō). Historically used for port activities, it is a sheltered area near the traditional kāinga of Ōhinehou – significant for local manawhenua, Ngāti Wheke. Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rūnanga have gifted Lyttelton the name for this marina, Te Ana. This new name reflects the significance of Te Ana o Huikai, a cultural site closely associated with the bay in which the marina sits, and traditionally recognised as a safe anchorage, with bountiful fish and shell fisheries. The site is also important in European history with Lyttelton port being the landing place for British settlers from 1850.
Before the first four ships arrived in December 1850, The Port Cooper deed was signed in 1849 by Walter Mantell and 18 Ngāi Tahu. For £200 the Crown received 65,000 acres and left Ngāti Wheke with 850 acres at Rāpaki as Native Reserve 875. Mantell was given a clear directive to disregard any claims Ngāi Tahu might make with regard to their ownership of the land. The discussions between Mantell and Ngāi Tahu were difficult and protracted but eventually Ngāi Tahu were persuaded to sign the Port Cooper Deed. The Waitangi Tribunal upheld the Ngāi Tahu claim that this Deed represented a forced sale.
The Rāpaki kāika (kāinga - village) is a small settlement within the Whakaraupō Harbour basin near Governor's Bay. Rāpaki is one of four Banks Peninsula rūnanga based around marae. The Rāpaki Marae, also known as Te Wheke Marae, is a meeting ground of Ngāi Tahu and its Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke branch. It includes Wheke wharenui (a beautiful meeting house built in 2011). The marae is named after the actions of the chief Te Rakiwhakaputa, who threw down his rāpaki (waist mat) on the shores of Whakaraupō to claim the land for Ngāi Tahu. The full name of the bay is Te Rāpaki o Te Rakiwhakaputa.
This cache site is around the road a little further than the entrance to the marina.
Reading and viewing sources:
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-TayLore-t1-body1-d7.html
https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/te-runanga-o-ngai-tahu/papatipu-runanga/rapaki/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtR0mpOQ7E4
https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/rapaki/
To be able to complete this Geotour and receive your special geocoin, remember to take a note of the codeword on the log book of the cache. This will need to be recorded in your passport which can be downloaded from here. If the passport is unavailable for any reason just keep a note of the codeword and try again later.