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17km from Opotiki
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Opape |
317km from Gisborne
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This is where the sandy beach ends amid the rocky inlets. Small fishing boats may be launched here to seek their way through the channel to the open sea. Eastern boundary of the Whakatōhea tribe, Opape is the site of the Muriwai meeting-house overlooking the sea. Here visitors can find a well equipped camping ground set well back off the main road and a newly developed coastal walkway.
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Whanau checking out a rockpool at Opape.
Photo Ngaio Knebel
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Opape Motor Camp
7 Opape Rd, Easy Beach access for Swimming or fishing. Powered & non powered sites. P: 07 315 8020 W: www.opapemotorcamp.webs.com |
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24km from Opotiki
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Torere |
310km from Gisborne
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As you come down onto the Torere Straight, a left just at the base of the hill is the road to the beach and Torere Macadamias, where they grow, harvest and process premium organic macadamia products. Also onsite is New Zealand’s largest macadamia nursery supplying 95% of the macadamia plants in the country.
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Torere Macadamias
Beachfront Orchard. Regular Field Days. |
Torere is a large semi-circular bay, rocky at each extremity, and with a steeply shelving pebble beach, with deep water close to shore. Unsuitable for swimming but ideal for fishing. A lovely picnic area is situated on the western side of the bay beneath large pohutukawa trees. At the eastern end of the Bay the Bookbinders Road leads to some historic walkways, which include evidence of early Māori settlement on top of the hill and a whaling oven along the beachfront below the hill. This is private property so a phone call would be a wise move.
A richly decorated church, serving the local Ngaitai tribe here, is worth inspecting, and the key can be collected at the nearby Runanga office where you will be directed to local points of interest and the various cottage industries. As you drive up the hill take time to see the magnificently carved Whakairo Gateway to Torere School.The Ngaitai tribe of Torere are descendants of Hoturoa’s daughter, Torere, who came ashore from the Tainui canoe on its journey along the coast from Whangaparaoa. The Tainui eventually terminated its journey from Hawaiiki at Kawhia, after being dragged overland from the Waitemata into the Manukau Harbour.
A richly decorated church, serving the local Ngaitai tribe here, is worth inspecting, and the key can be collected at the nearby Runanga office where you will be directed to local points of interest and the various cottage industries. As you drive up the hill take time to see the magnificently carved Whakairo Gateway to Torere School.The Ngaitai tribe of Torere are descendants of Hoturoa’s daughter, Torere, who came ashore from the Tainui canoe on its journey along the coast from Whangaparaoa. The Tainui eventually terminated its journey from Hawaiiki at Kawhia, after being dragged overland from the Waitemata into the Manukau Harbour.
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29km from Opotiki
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Hawai |
305km from Gisborne
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A similar shelving beach to Torere, bare of trees, and usually covered with driftwood. An excellent fishing spot, with river swimming and surfing at the eastern end of the beach. This is the boundary area of Te-Whānau-ā-Apanui tribe, which extends to Cape Runaway. Many tribal skirmishes have been reported about here - the old Ngariki tribe has Pā's in the hills - and the Hawai River, on the eastern side of this area, appears to have been part of one of the old tracks to the Gisborne plains in ancient times.
