A pano taken from the Bank of the
Taieri River looking over towards the fishing village of Taieri Mouth.
Extra Information
Taieri Mouth is a small fishing village at the mouth of the Taieri
River.
It has a white sand beach for swimming and several picnic areas. Another
feature is the walking track that follows the Taieri River from the mouth
through the lower gorge through to Henley.
Taieri Mouth is located 40km southwest of urban Dunedin on the Southern
Scenic Route. It is at the southern corner of the official city boundary
and 10km east of Lake Waihola.
There was a Maori occupation site at Taieri Mouth, with moa bones,
indicating it was from the Moa Hunter (Archaic) period of Maori
culture.
According to oral tradition in the early 18th century Tuwiriroa moved from
Tititea on the Kawarau River near modern Queenstown and built a pa,
(fortified settlement), Motupara, near Taieri Mouth. A rival Tukiauau had
already built a pa, Whakaraupuka, inland on the Taieri Plain by Lake
Waihola. Tuwiriroa had a daughter Haki Te Kura, famous for swimming across
Lake Wakatipu. Tukiauau had a handsome son Korokiwhiti. The daughter and
son now fell in love but the woman's father, the chief of the Taieri Mouth
pa, disapproved. The young man's father was a hunted man. Hearing his
enemies had discovered his whereabouts he decided to abandon the upriver
settlement and move his people further south. As they came down the river
in their canoes the distraught young woman attempted to jump from a rock
into her lover's craft but struck the prow and was killed. Adding insult to
injury her head was severed and held up angrily to her people on the shore
as the flotilla passed by to the sea. There were repercussions and Tukiauau
and his son were pursued and eventually killed.
Maori occupation continued and Edward Shortland recorded a small settlement
here in 1843 and Maori were still living there in 1850.
An early European settler was a former whaler, 'The Hermit of Taieri
Mouth', also known as 'John Bull' whose real name was John Edward O'Neil.
He is remembered for his boisterous ways and prodigious strength.
 "Taieri Mouth - Click for larger image")
