(TAKUTAI MOANA) BILL E kau I te wai e, e kau I te wa

As a youngster it was all fun throwing the fishing lines out, sitting and
waiting in expectancy for the bite of the fish, and sometimes, jumping
into the channels to swim in the clear waters of Te Awanui. Enacting the
rituals of encounters or spiritual practices specific for the purposes of
gathering food were all inclusive in these experiences. All of these things
I remember well while growing up.
Te Awanui
Te Awanui represents the huge expanse of water, foreshore and seabed
that flows from within the harbour of Tauranga between Matakana and
Ōtūmoetai. As the waters filled and then receded, you could gaze along
the foreshores of both Matakana and Ōtūmoetai, and see the expanse of
water and how far Te Awanui ebbed and flowed.
From Mauao across to Panepane, the eastern tip of Matakana Island
forms the gateway to the large expanse of water aptly named Te Awanui.
Along inland Matakana from east to west and looking directly across to
Ōtūmoetai flows Te Awanui which gradually veers left at a point called
Matuaiwi past Ōreanui, a former battle site. From there it flows into the
Peterehema estuary, spreading across to Tahataharoa where it clashes
with the waters of the Wairoa river.
Te Awanui continues along the length and breadth of Matakana Island,
past Motuhoa Island veering inland slightly behind Raropua then out to
Omokoroa Point. From the western end of Matakana Island and
Bowentown is a narrow outlet where Te Awanui flows out to sea.
From the inlet Te Awanui spreads into what is today known as the
Tauranga Harbour where on the eastern side lies Whareroa and it
continues south past Matapihi, direct to Hairini and spreads into an area
now known as Fraser Cove from whence the Waimapu stream flows in to.
From here, it travels past Maungatapu and along the flats of Ngā Pāpaka
o Rangataua and continues inwards along the flats of the Rangataua Bay
(Welcome Bay), thus is the journey and vast expansive waterways of Te
Awanui.
I turn back to Te Awanui (commonly known as Tauranga Harbour) itself
and what has happened here in my lifetime to date. I want to highlight
the very thoughts in my mind about what has and continues to happen to
a once beautiful harbour.
With the advent of the port which was in itself inevitable, and with the
continuous deepening of the harbour to accommodate larger ships, my
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