| Karepiro Bay | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Karepiro Bay Location within the Auckland Region | |
| Location | Auckland Region, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°39′14″S174°44′13″E / 36.654°S 174.737°E /-36.654; 174.737 (Karepiro Bay) |
| River sources | Weiti River,Ōkura River |
| Ocean/sea sources | Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana,Pacific Ocean |
| Settlements | Arkles Bay, Wade Heads, Weiti Station |
Karepiro Bay is a bay of theHauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana in theAuckland Region, New Zealand. It found between theWhangaparāoa Peninsula andNorth Shore, and is the mouth of theWeiti River andŌkura River.
Karepiro Bay is a bay of theHauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana, found at the confluence of theWeiti River andŌkura River, south ofWhangaparāoa Peninsula and north ofLong Bay.[1] Dacre Point is a headland found at Karepiro Bay, which is the north headland of the Ōkura River,[2] and the eastern headland of the Weiti River on the Whangaparāoa Peninsula is known as Toroa Point.[3] Much of the bay is part of theLong Bay-Okura Marine Reserve.[4] The bay features a large amount of sedimentation, which increased since the 1950s.[5] The sands of the bay are home to the endangeredNew Zealand dotterel.[6]
TheTāmaki Māori name for the bay literally means "putrid ripples", and may be a reference to the smell of mudflats.[1] The sandspits located at the bay are a traditionally significant site (wāhi tapu) calledTe Ringa Kaha ō Manu.[7] The Toroa Point headland was the location of Rahohara Pa, a defensivepā important toTe Kawerau ā Maki, especiallyNgāti Kahu, andNgāti Pāoa, due to the nearby shark fishing grounds,[8] and Dacre Point is also a known pā site.[9] The Karepiro Bay area is a concentrated area of archaeological sites, including shellfish middens, and terraces. The terraces north of Dacre Point indicate the area had been the site of terraced gardening.[9] Thekāinga located here was traditionally known by the nameOtaimaro ("The Place of Taimaro"), afterTe Kawerau ā Maki ancestor Taimaro, son of Tawhiakiterangi.[7]
Karepiro Bay was the site of a battle during theTe Kawerau ā Maki conquest of the northern Auckland Region.[7] During theMusket Wars, the Dacre Point pā was raided.[9]
Karepiro Bay was visited byJules Dumont d'Urville in 1827 aboard theAstrolabe, who named it Tofino Bay after the Spanish navigator and mathematicianVicente Tofiño de San Miguel.[10] In 1848, Henry Dacre and his father Captain Ranulph Dacre purchased the lands surrounding the riverŌkura River, creating the Weiti Station. Their house, the Dacre Cottage, was built circa 1855 from locally made bricks, located on the shores of Karepiro Bay.[11][12]
Long Bay-Okura Marine Reserve was established at Karepiro Bay and adjacent to Long Bay in 1995.[4] Local residents have documented increased sedimentation in the 2010s leading to a loss of marine life, which led to protests in 2018.[13]