Heritage Talk - Pātaua through time

Next date: Thursday, 08 October 2026 | 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Image above: view of mist over the Pātaua footbridge. Photo credit: Shelmarc Photography

A writer’s journey

At the southern end of Northland’s Ngunguru Bay, a gap in the landscape between Parauwanui and Te Whangai Head opens up a narrow portal between ocean and awa.

Flowing from the east of Whangārei, northeast to the Pacific Ocean, this portal forms the mouth of the magnificent awa, Pātaua, a wide-yawning tidal waterway that reaches inland toward Parua Bay and the Whangarei Harbour, with tributaries in the form of streams and creeks reaching out in all directions.

On the south side of the awa, a narrow stretch of land separates Pātaua from its ‘sister’ river Taiharuru, whose river mouth appears to be guarded by Motungangara, the small motu centrally located between Pataua Island and Taiharuru Head.

These awa, their tributaries and pathways, are of significant cultural heritage importance to both Māori and Pākeha as waterways that enabled and supported pre and post European/Nova Scotian occupation, settlement, existence, trade, and industry.

Their banks are richly imbued with stories of arrival, occupation, and settlement through generations of time.

Portrait of writer June Pitman

About June Pitman

June Pitman is a well-known freelance creative writer, poet, songwriter/lyricist, published author of a range of children’s picture books with waiata, and a passionate storyteller who enjoys bringing to light those hidden gem, largely unknown cultural heritage stories. Following the publication of her first cultural heritage book ‘Kaumātua o Tamaterau - Life stories through the lens’, followed by the 2024 release of her latest children’s book My Family Tree, my whānau and me, June has been progressively working toward writing and releasing her latest cultural heritage book project, Awa, Ara, Moana – Water Portages and Pathways to the sea; a story of Pātaua Awa through the historical portals of time.