Anaura Bay Walkway

Anaura Bay was once the domain of Tautini, a grandson of the chief Hauiti from Ūawa, who lived at Toiroa, a pā on the ranges between Anaura and Tokomaru bays. Tautini married Hinetamatea, whose name the meeting house at Anaura Bay bears.

Local Māori gave James Cook a friendly welcome when he entered Anaura Bay aboard the Endeavour on 21 October 1769. The crew filled their casks with water from Hawai Stream, where an Historic Places Trust plaque now records the event, and were given fish, wild celery and kumara (sweet potato). On shore, Cook recorded in-depth descriptions of Māori horticulture.

Prolific planting of karaka trees provided food, as recorded in a rafter design at the Hinetamatea Marae, which complemented a diet of kaimoana (sea food), kumara, yams, taro and gourds.  The Endeavour crew was amazed at the orderliness, regularity and number of gardens in the area. 

In pre-European times, Motuoroi Island, at the southern end of the bay, was inhabited by people skilled in the art of working with pounamu (greenstone) brought from the South Island. But when Cook visited, the large, fortified pa on the island was deserted.

The grand homestead Waipare stands at the northern end of the bay. The kauri timber was shipped in kitset form from Auckland and brought ashore by raft for assembly on site in the 1880s. The homestead remains basically in its original condition.

These days, the bay is home to the marae and a sprinkling of houses. A permanent camping ground and a seasonal Department of Conservation camping area are regularly visited by holidaymakers from Gisborne and further afield.