COROMANDEL GOLD
Our modest cruising adventure was to the Coromandel and the inordinately lovely archipelagos of the Motukawao Group, along the peninsula’s western coastline between the towns of Coromandel and Colville.
Just the naming of these places indicates a richness of history – perhaps, even, a confusion as to the telling of the stories thereof. Why, for instance, was Motukahaua re-named Happy Jack’s Island? Or why are the Ngamotukaraka also known as the Three Kings Islands?
There are times, also, when imaginative history fails and becomes as banal and prosaic as Bush Island (for Motukaramarama); Double Island (for Motuwi); Rabbit Island (for Moturua); Goat Island (for Motuoruhi); Shag Rock (for Motuokino). And just plain Cow and Calf Islands.
There’s mystery too, in the extraordinary rock formation at Tawhiti Point at the northern heads to the Coromandel (Waiau) Harbour. It looks like a winged victory but bears no name that I can find. I’d really like to know.
Te Patukirikiri are the tangata whenua
