Ātene is a former village located 35 km (22 miles) up theWhanganui River fromWhanganui. Originally called Warepakoko,[1] then Kakata,[2] it was renamed by themissionaryRichard Taylor in the 19th century as aMāoritransliteration ofAthens. It was the home of thehapūNgāti Hineoneone of theiwiTe Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi.[3] A smallmeeting house called Te Rangi-i-heke-iho, restored by carver Bill Ranginui,[4] is all that remains.[5]
The hill next to Ātene, Puketapu, was once on a peninsula almost completely surrounded by ameander of the Whanganui River; centuries ago the river broke through the neck of the peninsula, connecting the two bends and cutting off the meander.[6] In the 1960s, ahydroelectric dam was proposed at Ātene, because the meander could have been reinstated while the dam was being constructed.[7] A hydroelectric dam would have flooded the river as far back asTaumarunui, and the project was abandoned.[8] While investigating the possibility of a dam, theMinistry of Works built a road in 1959 along the ridgeline overlooking Puketapu. The road is now an 18 km walking track, the Ātene Skyline Track.[9]
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