Category Archives: Local knowledge

Taranaki – hydro power pioneer

The original Mangorei power station much of which is still in use today. Image sourced from: Puke Ariki Learning and Research archives.
The original Mangorei power station much of which is still in use today. Image sourced from: Puke Ariki Learning and Research archives.

New Zealand has an early history of drawing on hydro power to produce electricity. The Taranaki district in particular, has been a pioneer in the use of hydro-powered electricity, establishing 7 of New Zealand’s 14 public sources of electricity in the early times.

Taranaki takes the prize as the most electrically-minded province during the early years of power generation in New Zealand. Neil Rennie writing in 1989 from Power to the People [see note 1 below].

Taranaki’s early sources of electricity stemmed from hydroelectric schemes that drew from the water supplies and many streams that surround Mt Taranaki/Egmont. Demand for a public source of electricity began to increase as New Plymouth’s urban population grew. Additionally, local farmers, who were originally self reliant on their self generated sources of electricity, began to use more industrialised technologies. These technologies required a steady supply of electricity. Consequently the new farming methods provided a practical and economic justification for the establishment public power schemes.

In the beginning of the 20th century Mangorei Power station was established on the Waiwhakaiho River near Burgess Park. In its early stages Mangorei power station was constructed to be a combined water and electricity supply. It provided power to 41 homes as well as New Plymouth’s street lights in urban areas. During this era of its development the Mangorei power station required a mere 1200-metre water supply that was then piped directly from the Waiwhakaiho River to its neighbouring generating station.

In the summer time power was often unreliable as the water levels along the Waiwhakaiho would run low. In response to this dilemma local government commissioned the construction of a dam along the Māngamāhoe Stream in 1914. Consequently a new intake was also constructed further up the Waiwhakaiho River and a 420-metre open water race led to the dam [2]. Unfortunately this extension on the Mangorei Power Station was not as efficient as its original design; the Māngamāhoe Stream intake frequently became blocked by stones, boulders and other debris which required removal by hand. The development of this system however has left a historical mark in Taranaki as the piles of boulders that were removed by local residents by hand from the stream, have remained alongside the intake.

In 1971 the original low-head dam that accompanied this structure was rebuilt and replaced by another low-head dam several meters downstream. The remains of the first dam and its intake to the power station may still be seen a few metres up from the second dam [3].

From its humble beginnings in 1906 the Mangorei Power Station continues to be one of New Zealand’s oldest operating power stations. Although it has much evolved from its original from its evidence of its earlier structures can still be traced as it remains a central component of Taranaki’s and New Zealand’s industrial heritage [4].

Resources
[1]. Lambert, R. (n.d). The Alchemy of the Engineer: Taranaki Hydro-electricity, paragraph 1. Retrieved from: http://pukeariki.com/Learning-Research/Taranaki-Research-Centre/Taranaki-Stories/Taranaki-Story/id/1009/title/the-alchemy-of-the-engineer-taranaki-hydroelectricity

[2]. As above, paragraph 8.

[3]. As above, paragraph 8.

[4]. As above.

Whitebaiting on the Waiwhakaiho

Whitebaiting by the bridge.
Whitebaiting by the bridge.

Being part of a community involves interacting with those who are not like you – they may be different in age, gender, ethnicity or culture. Managing spots on a river for whitebaiters requires delicate maneuvers and where this is not managed well, the situation can become contentious and explosive.

Whitebaiting for many is muli-generational. To find out about local whitebaiting on the Waiwhakaiho and to make connections to this community Jessica Clark walked up and down the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River during high tide and approached the whitebaiters that were there on the day. She spoke to six whitebaiters, 3 women and 3 men; all of them were over 50. She took notes of their stories, and following are the common themes that emerged during conversations with them.

Three of the whitebaiters spoken to were retired, and they told me that most of the people who whitebait during the working week are retired. They also mentioned that this group of retired whitebaiters deliberately choose not to whitebait on the weekends. This is because the Waiwhakaiho River and Te Rewa Rewa Bridge are busy on the weekends. One man Clark spoke to called Tom said “Us oldies do it for the peace and quiet, so the weekends don’t suit us because that’s a busy time here. So the oldies know to leave the white baiting to the young ones on the weekends.” The other whitebaiters who were not retired were part time workers or were beneficiaries, and were therefore able to whitebait during the week.

Freshly caught whitebait.
Freshly caught whitebait.

Five out of six of the people that she spoke with had been white baiting since their childhood. Their parents or grandparents had taught them how to whitebait and they had been doing it ever since. They also mentioned the changes they had witnessed in whitebait populations across the seasons. Three out of these five whitebaiters said that there seemed to be a trend in whitebait populations, saying that they often experienced two or three seasons of low population levels and then the following season they would see a dramatic increase in population across the Waiwhakaiho and other Taranaki rivers. They all told me that this year had been a particularly good year.

Local resident mixes work and passion

02Fig 1
The Voice and The Fitzroy Centenary are free Taranaki newspapers. Ron Mells is a local resident who has lived in New Plymouth all his life, has a self-confessed passion for writing and many of his stories have been regular features in these news papers. Ron, who was once the proud owner of a local grocery store, first began writing articles for these papers to promote the specials in his grocery. He came to enjoy this process of writing articles for these papers and this soon developed into a regular hobbies. However as his passion for writing grew so did the content of his articles. Ron told the Living lab research team that besides writing, his other passion was trout fishing along the Waiwhakaiho River. Consequently he began to write stories about trout fishing and other goings on at the Waiwhakaiho River. Having lived along the Waiwhakaiho River all his life, Ron has many memories on about the river and has published a collection of the social histories that surround the river. He has kindly agreed share some of the articles from his collection, so that they may be published on the website and enjoyed by other local residents.

Ron’s articles are featured below.

An article written by Ron that details the history of Fitzroy published in The Fitzroy Centenary.
An article written by Ron that details the history of Fitzroy published in The Fitzroy Centenary.

A photograph of the celebrations that were held on the opening of the 1904 Waiwhakaiho Bridge.
A photograph of the celebrations that were held on the opening of the 1904 Waiwhakaiho Bridge.
An article written by Ron that explores the meaning of the name Waiwakaiho. Published in the Fitzroy Centenary.
An article written by Ron that explores the meaning of the name Waiwakaiho. Published in the Fitzroy Centenary.
An image of the 1859 Puriri Bridge as published in The Fitzroy Centenary.
An image of the 1859 Puriri Bridge as published in The Fitzroy Centenary.
An article written by Ron that details the establishment of the Fitzroy suburb as published in the Fitzroy Centenary.
An article written by Ron that details the establishment of the Fitzroy suburb as published in the Fitzroy Centenary.

White water kyaking

NPKC members embarking on the annual paddle feast white water kayaking event.
NPKC members embarking on the annual paddle feast white water kayaking event.

Whilst there are many interesting local histories about New Plymouth residents and their relationships with the Waiwhakaiho River, an important facet of Sharing the Waiwhakaiho is to talk to current residents, including young people and understand their experiences of interacting with the river. The New Plymouth Kayak Club (NPKC) is one such group. The NPKC consists of a group of adventurers intent on making the most of the river rapids offered by the Waiwhakaiho. With regular and seasonally organised adventure outings that include White Water Kayak exploration, Sea Kayaking and Canoe Polo NPKC members share a love of white water kayaking and the natural environment that encases New Plymouth.

Promoting the conservation of the Waiwhakaiho River and river conservation across Taranaki is a primary foundation of the NPKC. As their website says, they aim To promote and advance the participation in White Water Kayaking including but not limited to White Water Kayak exploration, Sea Kayaking, Canoe Polo, River conservation by Taranaki residents and members.

Mark Garner a member of NPKC shared many of his white water stories with the living lab research team. He has kindly agreed to share some photos he has collected over the years of the white water kayakers in action.

NPKC members white water kayaking.
NPKC members white water kayaking.

The NPKC website provides a calendar and details of up and coming white water events, as well as a discussion forum and a photo gallery for club members to upload many of the photos and videos they take of white water activities. Their website also provides information about how to get involved in white water kayaking or become a member of the NPKC.

Garner shared his passion for white water with the Living Lab research team. Revealing that the Waiwhakaiho River is a prime spot for white water kayaking, NPKC members readily get an adrenalin rush as they take on the force of the river by adventuring through the rapids. The photos provided by Mark illustrate this experience, and the above image shows several kayakers battling through the white water rapids of the Waiwhakaiho. Garner informed the living lab research team that members of the NPKC happy being on the river for hours at a time engaging in this adrenalin rush.

His experiences of white water kayaking reveals a contemporary view of the way in which current New Plymouth residents come together and form social groups through mutual interest in the Waiwhakaiho River. A popular site for white water rapids is the Meetings of the waters, where the Mangamahoe hydro lake outlet meets the Waiwhakaiho River, not far upstream from Tupare.

The heritage of bridges at Te Rewa Rewa

Te Rewa Rewa Cluster refers to the mixtures of heritage located around the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho: it is the site of an important pah, the outlet of the Waiwhakaiho River to the sea and an important point in the much loved coastal walkway. Here the heritage of times past mixes with natural and human made waterways, fishing and recreation.

An aerial photograph of the current Te Rewa Rewa Bridge, the bridge provides an extension of the existing New Plymouth Coastal Walkway into the suburb of Bell Block by crossing the Rewarewa Reserve, which is sacred land of the Ngati Tawhirikura tribe. The bridge’s distinct form resembles whale bone which symbolises the sacred relationship between the land, sea and wind for the local Ngati Tawhirikura tribe. Image source from: Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) New Zealand.
An aerial photograph of the current Te Rewa Rewa Bridge. The bridge provides an extension of the existing New Plymouth Coastal Walkway into the suburb of Bell Block by crossing the Rewarewa Reserve, which is sacred land of the Ngati Tawhirikura tribe. The bridge’s distinct form resembles whale bone which symbolises the sacred relationship between the land, sea and wind for the local Ngati Tawhirikura. Image source from: Heavy Engineering Research Association (HERA) New Zealand.

New Plymouth as a region has a long and distinct social history of bridges, particularly in relation to the Waiwhakaiho River. This history stems from early settler years and follows through to today, whereby the current Te Rewa Rewa Bridge continues to be well loved by many New Plymouth residents and remains a popular pedestrian bridge enjoyed by many on the weekends.

The concept of a bridge that crossed the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River was first suggested in 1842 by Frederic Alonzo Carrington who was one of New Plymouth’s city fathers.

Fig 2
Father of New Plymouth and the Chief Surveyor for the Plymouth Company: Frederic Alonzo Carrington. Image sourced from: Puke Ariki, Learning and Research Archives.

By 4 November Carrington had produced a map of the future New Plymouth. It included a suspension bridge that spanned across the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River. However it is important to note that Carrington’s site was criticised by many residents for its lack of a harbour, additionally Maori disputed possession over their lands.

Originally a suspension bridge was built using chains and puketea timber. However over time the chains began to erode through the puketea timber supports and eventually The Bridge collapsed into the river and the remains of it were washed away. Other wooden suspension bridges were built to replace this bridge however they too slowly deteriorated over time and failed to with stand the force of the Waiwhakaiho River.

Years passed before anyone attempted to rebuild the bridge. During this period there were many fatalities as early settler communities struggled to cross the Waiwhakaiho River, particularly during winter when flooding occurred. Local government responded to this problem by commissioning the construction of a puri puri bridge in 1857.

This bridge was constructed on March 3, prior to the Maori land wars. Consequently during the land war battles of Taranaki in 1860 the army lost control of this bridge for a week, as Maori had seized control of Fitzroy. Taranaki Daily News reports:

“The commanding officer in New Plymouth, worried that the bridge had been burnt down, signalled volunteers from the Bell Block stockade to check the rumours. A small party of men rode into Fitzroy from Bell Block as far as the Mangaone hill and returned with the news the bridge was safe”(Taranaki Daily News, 2012).

Unfortunately in 1867 the puri puri bridge was badly damaged during a period of heavy flooding. During this time the use of concrete within engineering was a new and innovative concept. New Zealand began to commission the establishment of various concrete structures, many of which “were unique even in world terms” (Reed, Schoonees & Salmond, 2008, p. 12).

The New Plymouth district in particular pioneered several early concrete structures between 1850 and 1860 (Thornton, 1996). One such structure happens to be the refurbishment of the 1867 puri puri bridge. The remains of the 1867 bridge were rebuilt and reinforced by a ferro-concrete bridge.

“The structure comprised four arches, two of 10m span and two of 20m, with a 7m iron carriageway and two footways. The iron weighed 20kg a metre. More than 32 tonnes of steel were used in the construction (Taranaki Daily New, 2012).”

Here is a black and white etching of the former concrete bridge.

A black and white etching of the ferro-concrete bridge crossing the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River.
A black and white etching of the ferro-concrete bridge crossing the mouth of the Waiwhakaiho River.

This bridge was opened in 1907 by Mr Brown, who was the chairman of the county council. Many of the local residents who had helped erect the old bridges were present as the concrete bridge was built.

To celebrate the construction of the new concrete bridge a parade which included members of the county council in bullock wagon drawn by two oxen, followed by local residents crossed the bridge. A public luncheon was then held along the Waiwakaiho River banks, followed later by a community ball at the Masonic Hotel (Taranaki Daily News, 2012).

TH19071018.2.12-a5-513w-c32-3089-344-1026-8960
A newspaper clipping from the Taranaki Herald published October 18th 1907 informing New Plymouth residents about the establishment of the new ferro-concrete bridge and the celebrations that followed. Image sourced from: Papers Past.

The day the Waiwhakaiho ran orange

Kokowai flowing
Aerial photo of the Kokowai Stream high on Mt Taranaki clearly shows the source of the colouration

Taranaki Regional Council inspectorate and scientific staff were mobilised in early November 2013 after reports that the Waiwhakaiho River had turned bright orange in its upper and middle reaches.

In the era of social media and 24/7 internet news coverage, it was clear to the Council that the reports had substance – even before officers arrived on the scene.

But a crime scene it wasn’t. A quick investigative helicopter flight up the river to its headwaters high on Mt Taranaki confirmed what the old hands had already suspected: the culprit was naturally occurring iron oxide.

The source of the discoloration was the Kokowai Stream, a tributary of the Waiwhakaiho River near the Boomerang slip on Mount Taranaki. The name Kokowai means ‘red ochre’.

The entire stream was indeed flowing bright orange when Council officers flew over the area, with a significant rust-coloured flow of water and sediment at the source of the stream.

Subsequent checks revealed a landslip had resulted in pent-up groundwater with high iron levels being suddenly released into the stream.

Iron is a common element in Taranaki’s water and volcanic rock and soils, and rust-coloured deposits or cloudy orange water often occur naturally in Taranaki waterways, though seldom to this extent. The iron reacts with atmospheric oxygen or dissolved oxygen in surface water to form rust-coloured iron oxide which precipitates out and can also give a waterway a cloudy appearance.

Such discoloration is sometimes mistaken as pollution when it is sighted in the lower reaches of waterways. But iron oxide deposits occur naturally and although unsightly, they are not toxic to fish or other aquatic life, and they are not an environmental health risk.

The fast-flowing Waiwhakaiho River cleared quickly. This truly was a one-day wonder, but it gave headline writers an opportunity to exercise their sense of humour in the next morning’s front-page banner: ‘Ore inspiring’.

Kokowai

The Kokowai Cluster relates to the source of the Waiwhakaiho. This also implies origins and beginnings. The river sometimes runs red with ochre, so connected to this page you will find information about iron oxide – its’ significance, role and place in Māori culture. Then there is the geology of rivers. The Waiwhakaiho is also a source of andesite – which is highly valued by sculptors, uniting geology and creativity.

Kokowai is the name given to a stream that is a tributary of the Waiwhakaiho, high up on the mountain. Kokowai is also the name of a naturally occurring colour of the Earth, and is significant to Māori.

The cultural significance of red ochre

Since the mid 1600s, Taranaki weaving was famed for its rich colours, particularly the kokowai hues in taniko (twined geometric patterned borders) of cloaks. These were highly sought after. There are instances of a cloak from here being exchanged for waka, or large quantities of taonga.

Within Aotearoa, Pasifika and many indigenous nations this ochre the hue named kokowai is a significant material in visual and performative culture. For Māori, its significance is that the ochre is the blood of Rangi and Papa when they were separated – they had been in an embrace for so long they had become entwined. Tane had to cut through sinews etc., to separate them. This is a metaphorical narrative on many levels in regards to cosmology, and also the pain/suffering/sacrifice these parents undertook to allow their offspring to develop and transform.

In Māori culture, to apply kokowai to a structure, particularly in visual culture is to render the object, artefact, structure or body ‘tapu’ i.e. charged with energy (which originates in the intangible , higher realms of reality of Te Po) therefore requiring significant attention to restriction, boundaries and respect.

Te Po is the primary reality, it is the potentiality of life (it is where Rangi and Papa reside: their expansiveness outwards – created Te Ao Marama – the realm we reside in; it is an outcome of the potential of Te Po.

Te Ao Marama is a constant reminder that we are here to develop, to acquire wisdom towards enlightenment. Kokowai reminds us of this: it is a layered, rich viscous material. To apply ochre to an artefact or structure is called kura.

Kura means ‘prized possession.’ One of the most prized taonga is knowledge (hence its association to school). Red ochre signifies an artefact is ‘taonga’. This can be seen in many instances of Māori visual culture. This remains relevant and resonates deeply in the Maori aesthetic and conceptual continuum.

It is also a customary understanding that ‘wai’ as water is first and foremost understood as of the cosmic stream of energies, i.e. it has a spiritual quality first. Wai as water is a manifestation for this realm ‘Te Ao marama,’ its essence is intangible.

Kura Puke.

Haematite
This lump of naturally occurring haematite, known to Māori as kōkōwai, is of the type used to produce red-ochre pigment for art and visual culture. Source: Te Ara with permission from Te Papa Tongarewa the Museum of New Zealand.

 

Kokowai is also used in paint, shown here as part of Kowhaiwhai, or painted rafter patterns from the meeting house Hotunui, (Ngati Maru) at Hauraki built in 1878. It now stands in the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Kokowai is also used in paint, shown here as part of Kowhaiwhai, or painted rafter patterns from the meeting house Hotunui, (Ngati Maru) at Hauraki built in 1878. It now stands in the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

 

A photograph of a bison from the caves of Altimira in Spain, showing the use of red earth pigment. Source: National Museum and Research Center of Altamira
A photograph of a bison from the caves of Altimira in Spain (18,000-14,000 years old), showing the use of red earth pigment. Source: National Museum and Research Center of Altamira.