Karekare is a small coastal settlement in
West Auckland,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, sandwiched between the
Waitākere Ranges
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...
and a large
black sand
Black sand is sand that is black in color. One type of black sand is a heavy, glossy, partly magnetic mixture of usually fine sands containing minerals such as magnetite, found as part of a placer deposit. Another type of black sand, found on ...
surf beach.
Geography
It is located west of
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
city centre, south of the larger beach of
Piha
Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...
. It is north of
Whatipu
Whatipu is a remote beach on the west coast of the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The Whatipu area has been managed as a scientific reserve by the Auckland Regional Council since 2002. The road to it is unsealed. To the so ...
, south of
Piha
Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...
and west of the Centennial Memorial Park and Water Catchment area, which cover most of the native bushland
Waitākere Ranges
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...
. Karekare Beach is the confluence of the Company Stream, which was traditionally known by the name Waiteahoaho, and the Karekare Stream. The Karekare Falls are located inland from the beach.
The beach at Karekare is split into two sections separated by the, Karekare Stream, Karekare Beach to the south and Tāhoro / Union Bay, to the north. Two major geographical sites within Karekare are The Watchman, traditionally known by the names Te Matua and Te Tokamatua, a significant knoll on the beach's ridge, and Paratahi Island, located to the south of Karekare.
Karekare is the remains of an ancient volcanic crater of the
Waitākere Volcano, which was uplifted due to tectonic forces between 3 and 5 million years ago.
Te Matua (the Watchman) is the hardest remaining portion of
dacite
Dacite () is a volcanic rock formed by rapid solidification of lava that is high in silica and low in alkali metal oxides. It has a fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. ...
of the crater, and Paratahi Island is a
lava dome
In volcanology, a lava dome is a circular mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of viscous lava from a volcano. Dome-building eruptions are common, particularly in convergent plate boundary settings. Around 6% of eruptions on ...
.
History
Karekare, along with the greater Waitākere Ranges area, was traditionally settled by the
Te Kawerau ā Maki
Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. It had 251 registered adult members as of June 2017. Auckland Council gave it land for a marae at Te Henga (Bethells Be ...
iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...
.
Karekare is one of the few locations where textiles created prior to European contact have been preserved.
The ocean between Piha and the Pararaha Valley was traditionally known as Waikarekare, referring to the turbulent waters of the Tasman Sea.
Over time, the name was shortened to Kakare and Karekare, and began to be used for the beach and the general area.
A traditional Te Kawerau ā Maki legend of the area involves three rocks found on the beach. According to the legend, Te Matua (the Watchman), the large headland of the beach, had two children during Te Ao Kohatu, the age where inanimate things of the world could walk. Te Matua's children would play at the beach, however one disobeyed their parent, and strayed too far away. When the age of Te Ao Kohatu ended, her two children were frozen in place: Te Tokapiri, the obedient child who remained close to their mother, and Te Tokapaoke, who stands at the southern end of Karekare, alone in the ocean. Te Tokapaoke became known as Paratahi Island.
Karekare was a major settlement for Te Kawerau ā Maki in the Waitākere Ranges, known for its extensive
kūmara
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young shoot ...
(sweet potato) cultivations inland. Te Kawerau ā Maki
rangatira
In Māori culture, () are tribal chiefs, the hereditary Māori leaders of a hapū. Ideally, rangatira were people of great practical wisdom who held authority () on behalf of the tribe and maintained boundaries between a tribe's land and that ...
Kowhatu-ki-te-uru, known for his abilities to create stone
pā,
settled at Karekare in the mid-18th century. Directly north-east of the beach, Kowhatu-ki-te-uru built a pā known as Te Kaka Whakaara ("The
Kākā
The New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') is a large species of parrot of the family Nestoridae found in New Zealand's native forests. The species is often known by the abbreviated name kākā, although it shares this name with the rece ...
Parrot Standing Watch") on The Watchman (Te Matua),
while the
kāinga
A kāinga ( Southern Māori ''kaika'' or ''kaik'') is the traditional form of village habitation of pre-European Māori in New Zealand. It was unfortified or only lightly fortified, and over time became less important to the well-defended pā.
...
(village) near the pā was known as Te Marae o Mana, referring to Kowhatu-ki-te-uru's son Manaairangi. The cultivations were known as Māraroa ("The Great Gardens").
Other significant pā in the area included one on Te Ahua Point, and one at Te Aoaho (above Karekare Falls).
In 1826 during the
Musket Wars
The Musket Wars were a series of as many as 3,000 battles and raids fought throughout New Zealand (including the Chatham Islands) among Māori between 1807 and 1837, after Māori first obtained muskets and then engaged in an intertribal arms ra ...
, Te Kaka Whakaara pā was attacked by two
Ngāpuhi
Ngāpuhi (or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland region of New Zealand and centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei.
According to the 2018 New Zealand census, the estimated population of Ngāpuhi is 165, ...
taua
A taua is a war party in the tradition of the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. Contemporary knowledge of taua is gleaned from missionary observations and writings during the Musket Wars of the early 19th century and the later New Zea ...
(war parties) led by
Hōne Heke
Hōne Wiremu Heke Pōkai ( 1807/1808 – 7 August 1850), born Heke Pōkai and later often referred to as Hōne Heke, was a highly influential Māori rangatira (chief) of the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) and a war leader in northern New Zealand; he was ...
and Te Kahakaha.
Te Kawerau ā Maki killed many of the Ngāpuhi taua by pelting them with rocks, however could not match the musket fire from the war parties. Te Kawerau ā Maki suffered many losses, especially at Wharengarahi, a cave on the beach where many of the tribe's women, children and elderly were taking shelter.
Due to the battle, Karekare was not occupied when Te Kawerau ā Maki returned after the war, due to the
tapu caused by the deaths.
During the early colonial era, Karekare was the site of two
Kauri
''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of 22 species of evergreen tree. The genus is part of the ancient conifer family Araucariaceae, a group once widespread during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, but now largely res ...
mills: Karekau Sawmill, which operated between 1881 and 18886, and a smaller mill which opened in 1906. In the early 20th century, the lower Karekare valley was farmland, tended to by the Farley family.
In 1935, the Karekare Surf Club was formed.
Demographics
Karekare is described by Statistics New Zealand as a rural settlement, and covers .
It is part of the
Waitākere Ranges South SA2 statistical area.
Karekare had a population of 255 at the
2018 New Zealand census
Eighteen or 18 may refer to:
* 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19
* one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018
Film, television and entertainment
* ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the sho ...
, an increase of 39 people (18.1%) since the
2013 census, and an increase of 63 people (32.8%) since the
2006 census
6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number.
In mathematics
Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...
. There were 90 households, comprising 132 males and 123 females, giving a sex ratio of 1.07 males per female, with 60 people (23.5%) aged under 15 years, 27 (10.6%) aged 15 to 29, 123 (48.2%) aged 30 to 64, and 39 (15.3%) aged 65 or older.
Ethnicities were 92.9% European/
Pākehā
Pākehā (or Pakeha; ; ) is a Māori term for New Zealanders primarily of European descent. Pākehā is not a legal concept and has no definition under New Zealand law. The term can apply to fair-skinned persons, or to any non-Māori New Ze ...
, 8.2%
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
, 2.4%
Pacific peoples, 3.5%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, and 2.4% other ethnicities. People may identify with more than one ethnicity.
Although some people chose not to answer the census's question about religious affiliation, 77.6% had no religion, 10.6% were
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, 1.2% were
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, 1.2% were
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
and 4.7% had other religions.
Of those at least 15 years old, 75 (38.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, and 12 (6.2%) people had no formal qualifications. 39 people (20.0%) earned over $70,000 compared to 17.2% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was that 87 (44.6%) people were employed full-time, 42 (21.5%) were part-time, and 6 (3.1%) were unemployed.
Tourism
At the turn of the century, holidaymakers would travel by coach from
Glen Eden to stay at the Karekare guest house. Karekare continues to be a popular destination for Aucklanders in summer, but receives fewer visitors than nearby
Piha
Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...
, partly because the road is narrow and only recently sealed. There are surf patrols in summer.
![KareKare Falls](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/KareKare_Falls.jpg)
The track to the base of the Waitakere waterfall—Karekare falls—is a short walk from the road. The track to the top of the falls is now closed to help stop the spread of the incurable
Kauri dieback
Kauri dieback is a forest dieback disease of the native kauri trees (''Agathis australis'') of New Zealand that is suspected to be caused by the oomycete ''Phytophthora agathidicida.'' Symptoms can include root rot and associated rot in a col ...
disease.
![Karekare accomodation house ATLIB 287313 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Karekare_accomodation_house_ATLIB_287313_%28cropped%29.png)
The settlement was immortalised in song by
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
on their ''
Together Alone
''Together Alone'' is the fourth studio album by New Zealand-Australian recording artists Crowded House. It was released in October 1993 and was their first album to feature multi-instrumentalist Mark Hart as a full band member. Unlike the band ...
'' album in 1993, much of which was recorded at Karekare; the well known Dub/Reggae group,
Salmonella Dub
Salmonella Dub is a dub/ drum n bass/reggae/ roots band from New Zealand. The band was formed in 1992 by Andrew Penman, Dave Deakins, and Mark Tyler. The band has toured extensively throughout New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, including the UK ...
, used the name as well on their album ''
Feel the Seasons Change - Live with the NZSO''. The location will also be familiar to viewers of the film ''
The Piano
''The Piano'' is a 1993 historical drama, period drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role, the film focuses on a Elective mutism, mute Scott ...
'', which included beach scenes shot at Karekare and Piha.
Safety information
The rips along this section of coast are very unpredictable and can shift with little warning, and have caused a number of drownings. Lifeguards advise swimming between the red and yellow flags, during patrol hours.
Education
There is a small community primary school (Lone Kauri School) with approximately 30 students located at Karekare. It is an independently operating branch of Oratia School, under the supervision of a senior teacher.
Panorama
References
Print references
*
External links
Karekare websiteKarekare Surf LifeSaving ClubPhotographs of Karekareheld in
Auckland Libraries' heritage collections.
{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area
Tourist attractions in the Auckland Region
Beaches of the Auckland Region
Populated places in the Auckland Region
Populated coastal places in New Zealand
Waitākere Ranges
Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area
Black sand beaches