Whau River
Whau River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | New Zealand |
Region | Auckland Region |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Maungakiekie Golf Club, Mount Roskill |
• coordinates | 36°55′21″S 174°43′42″E / 36.9225°S 174.72822°E |
Mouth | Waitematā Harbour |
• coordinates | 36°51′35″S 174°39′30″E / 36.85959°S 174.6582°E |
Basin features | |
Progression | Whau River → Waitematā Harbour → Hauraki Gulf → Pacific Ocean |
Tributaries | |
• left | Avondale Stream, Rewarewa Creek, Taroa Stream, Wairau Creek, Glendene Stream |
The Whau River (Māori pronunciation:
The estuary extends past the suburbs of
The Whau River is named after a native tree, the whau (Entelea arborescens).[1]
Geography
The geology of the area is mainly composed of marine and riverine sediment.[2] The stream's intertidal banks are commonly settled by mangroves and exotic weed species.[2]
The river's catchment covers 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) and includes all or part of Te Atatū South, Glendene, Kelston, Titirangi, Titirangi North, Green Bay, New Lynn, Glen Eden, Avondale, Blockhouse Bay and Mount Albert. Watersheds closely follow Te Atatu Road, Titirangi Road, Hillsborough Road, Richardson Road and Rosebank Road. The catchment consists of clay, sandstone and mud and was formed 20 million years ago when the land was raised from the sea.[1]
History
In earlier times, Māori used Te Tōanga Waka, the Whau River portage, for travel between the Waitemata Harbour (on the Pacific east coast) and the Manukau Harbour (on the Tasman west coast). They paddled canoes up the Whau River and the Avondale Stream and then carried the canoes over a short stretch of land to Green Bay on the Manukau. This is remembered in the name for Portage Road, which runs alongside the Avondale Stream,[1] and it is known that seasonal Māori settlements existed at the mouth of the river.[2] For many years after European settlement, there was talk of making a canal between the Whau and the Manukau.[1] Plans for a 6,900 ft (2.1 km) long canal, with a cutting up to 131 ft (40 m) deep, were made in 1907, but dismissed as too costly in 1921.[3]
From 1841, the banks of the Whau River were logged for
Friends of the Whau Inc. was formed in 1999 to restore the ecology of the Whau through revegetation and reduction of pollution.[1] The Whau River Catchment Trust was formed in 2012.[6]
The West End Rowing Club has been based in the Whau since 2001.
The Whau River formerly marked the boundary between two
In 2015, construction began on the Te Whau Pathway, a walking and cycling path along the western edge of the Whau River from Te Atatū Peninsula to Olympic Park in New Lynn. The path is planned to continue on to Green Bay beach thus connecting the Waitemata Harbour to the Manukau Harbour.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Mackay, Jo (2001). The Whau: Our Streams, Our River, Our Backyards (PDF). Waitakere City Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2004. Retrieved 21 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Waterview Connection - Assessment of Environmental Effects: Part C. New Zealand Transport Agency. August 2010. pp. 8.9–8.10.
- ^ "AtoJs Online — Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives — 1921 Session I-II — H-15a AUCKLAND CANALS AND INLAND WATERWAYS COMMISSION. (REPORT OF THE)". atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ^ Hayward, B. W.; Diamond, J. T. (1975). "Kauri Dam Sites in the Waitakere Ranges" (PDF). Tane. 6: 105–120. Retrieved 3 May 2022.
- ^ ISBN 0-473-01587-0.
- ^ "The Whau River Catchment Trust". The Whau River Catchment Trust. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
- ^ "Te Whau Pathway". Te Whau Pathway. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ "Te Whau Pathway". Auckland Council. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
External links
- Whau River Catchment Trust and Friends of the Whau
- Photographs of Whau River held in Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.