On the left bank a few bends below Kirikiriroa, and 83 km from Taumarunui, is Tamatea's cave. Part way round the next bend downstream is DOC's Ohauora Campsite.
When the weather and the sun position is right, the view upstream is superb.
In the past, canoeists have camped in the cave overnight. This is now un-necessary as the Ohauora campsite is just around the corner alongside the rapid of the same name. Hint: turn right part way throught the rapid and land on the shingle. The campsite is just above you on the bank.
Over the years, sundry visitors have carved their names into the papa at the back of the cave. One enterprising firm carved an advertisement there too. It suffers from flood scouring, but you can still read: "Hope Cross and Richardson, Photographers, Masterton". From memory, it once read: "Get your river photos from Hope Cross and Richardson, Photographers, Masterton". It was followed by year dates from the late 1930s into the early 1940s. The firm is no longer in business. I wonder what happened to their photo collection?
| On one of my 2002 trips, a large piece of rock fell off the bank onto my canoe - right where I would have been sitting had I not paused to take a photo before going back to the canoe. My guardian angel was working overtime! |  |
Near Tamatea's Cave is a rocky projection called "Te Uure-a-Tamatea".
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How it got this name is related by T W Downes in his Old Whanganui.
Centuries ago, Tamatea was traveling up the Whanganui River. "When they reached a place about twenty miles above Parinui, Tamatea noticed a rock jutting out of the cliff; so he said to his men, 'We will land here.' After they climbed to the cliffs above, Tamatea took one of his slaves, covered him with kokowai (red ochre), and then lowered him down by mens of vines on to a rock that he had noticed projecting out into the river. So he left him there, calling the place Te-ure-a-tamatea, and then continued on his journey up the river. (Until very recent years this projection has been regularly painted by the natives of that place in memory of this old ancestor.)
The rock is still kept painted. It is located on the left bank somewhere between 50 and 100 metres or so upstream of the cave. I can't be more definite and I didn't see it on my 2003 trip down the river. It is partly concealed by the flora on the cliff side.
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