History of the Site

Awaawaroa bay and the Awaawaroa valley are one of the earliest areas of settlement on Waiheke for both Māori and European settlers. The deep water bay offered easy access and extraction for a variety of products including kauri logging, manganese, firewood, shingle and sand. Signs of this activity, from early pā sites, kūmara pits, mine shafts and adits are abundant in the region.

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A full archaeological survey of the property was completed by Clough and Associates Ltd in 2021 which identified all registered heritage sites as not being affected by the subdivision, and fully protected by the covenant provisions. This Report is available upon request.

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Until the early 1990's the lower reaches of the property had been grazed - earlier clearance having removed much of the original forest cover. Substantial stands of native forest trees remain in the gullies and extensive planting and regrowth has recovered much of the native flora.

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Historical features around the properties include evidence of early settler activity, and a Māori pā site and kumara pits at the peak of Maunganui.

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A small gallery of historical photos of the property are presented below, alongside a pdf of scanned aerial images of the land and covenanted remnant native forest.

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Bibliography: 

Monin, P. 1992 Waiheke Island: A History. Palmerston North: Unforeseen Press Ltd.

Day,D. 1989 Waiheke Pioneers. Waiheke Historical Society, Waiheke Island, New Zealand.