OVER THE HILL

At the south-eastern extremity of Christchurch lies Te Onepoto/Taylors Mistake. Quite who Taylor was or what mistake he made remains unclear, but this popular swimming and surfing beach is oozing with Kiwiana and is one certainly worth exploring.

As well as the name, the early history of the bay is also uncertain. Ngā Tahu lay claim to a defensive pā on Awaroa/Godley Head, looking down into the harbour side, most likely to see who was arriving. Boulder Bay (approximately 1km east of Taylors Mistake beach) and Taylors Mistake were seasonal hunting grounds, but with no reliable freshwater they were unlikely to have been settled for long. In 1850 the Europeans started to arrive, and Lyttelton grew as a thriving port. A road track was formed to Taylors in 1910, and by 1920 there was limited car access.

Your first sense of Kiwiana comes from