Tolaga Bay

Tolaga Bay, (original Māori name Uawa ), is a small 831 inhabitants counting place in the Gisborne region on the North Island of New Zealand. Named after the Bay Tolaga Bay, the place is also closely connected with the expedition of Captain James Cook in 1769 to New Zealand.

Geography

The place is located right at the mouth of Uawa River, which empties into the middle of the Tolaga Bay into the Pacific Ocean. Tolaga Bay, located on the alluvium of the three rivers Uawa River, Mangaheia River and a smaller minor tributary, is surrounded by a 300 to 400 meter high hills, which end on both sides of the bay with rock crashes into the sea. Up to the south to Gisborne there are 35 good 54 kilometers of road on the State Highway. The nearest large settlement to the north, the 447 residents, community Tokomaru Bay dar. Until the next largest city Opotiki on the same highway are some 280 km.

History

Settlement by Māori

Māori settled in the bay at the mouth of the Uawa Rivers since about 1300 AD. , As Polynesians in the large fleet of Hawaiki in the bay of the Bay of Plenty and offspring of Tiki -Tiki -a- Taranga were settled on the coast were. In the 16th century Hauiti is said to have made ​​himself the leader of the Uawa and the tribal group Te Aitanga -a- Hauiti have formed, which still exists today. The name of the place where the Māori settled, varied in pronunciation; Ou Auwoa or Uwoua is handed down. Today, however, is common in the Uawa.

Colonization by Europeans

Between 24 and October 30, 1769 James Cook came up with the Endeavour Uawa, anchored his ship in a small protected bay which is now called Cook 's Cove, took fresh water, fish, kumara ( sweet potato ) and cut wood on board, gave the bay in a suspected misinterpretation of the name Tolaga Bay and sailed along the coast to the north. In November 1773 Captain Tobias Furneaux came with the adventure in the second Cook expedition short passing and 1827 the French navigator Jules Dumont d' Urville and researchers on the Astrolabe.

In the early 1830s it began in Uawa with the cultivation of flax and the development of commercial structures to Sydney, Australia. 1843 was the first Christian missionary. 1873 the first ferry service across the River Uawa was established. 1875 bought a government buyers for 505 pounds settlement with approximately 100 ha of land. At this time living among the 800 residents 52 European settlers. A weekly trains running coach service, there were 1887 to Gisborne.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to establish a dairy was founded in 1912 a butter factory, the tonnes of butter per year produced in the 1930s nearly 320, was established in 1959 but closed. In addition to the dairy industry, animal husbandry and trade with frozen meat got an ever greater role for the Tolaga Bay. The transport took place by sea. In keeping with the growing importance of the place got Tolaga Bay in 1919 its own port administration, coinciding with the spin-off Uawas from the Cook County and forming its own County, the Uawa County.

To meet the growing demands of transportation was built in 1920 with the idea to build a pier to larger ships easier and be able to load secure. After 1924, the Treaty bases were created in 1926 started the construction work. On November 22, 1929 then the grand opening of the pier that still with 660 m length of the longest pier in New Zealand may be called. About the Kai corn, dairy products, wool, livestock and meat were shipped by sea to the purchasers until 1967.

Was already marked by the decline from 1977 prohibited the pier to ride with vehicles. After a long time doing nothing finally put a the inhabitants of Tolaga Bay for the preservation of the pier. In the first phase of the restoration of a total of 26 pillars and the end of the wharf for about NZ $ 360,000 were renewed between August 2001 and April 2002, funded by donations from various organizations. The restoration is not yet complete and will probably continue for many years, as hundreds have to be replaced by pillars and the railing of the pier so.

Economy

Main source of income of the village is today still farming with the milk production and animal husbandry dar. side story and Pier has made ​​the production of high-quality handmade cashmere wool products by the local Cashmere Company announced the location of Tolaga Bay. Since 1984, the fibers of goat skins are sent to the weaving and dyeing to Scotland and then produce exclusive garments from fabrics in Tolaga Bay and commercialize its own sales offices in Auckland and Christchurch. Another, albeit more modest source of income, tourism dar. Attracted by the historical past of the place and the two points of interest (see below ) are day tourists and travelers in the place.

Attractions

• The 660 m long extending into the lake pier, Tolaga Bay Wharf is known as, walkable, despite the disintegration and restoration work with appropriate hazard information.
• Cook's Cove, after a walking time of about an hour along the cliffs of the 343 m high Titirangi.
• Built in 1890, but later rebuilt Tolaga Bay Inn, which now houses a backpackers accommodation, cafe and restaurant.