Arohaki Lagoon

Arohaki Lagoon
Arahaki Lagoon
Arohaki (Māori)
Arohaki Lagoon, with kahikatea trees in the background
Arohaki Lagoon Location of Arohaki Lagoon in the North Island
Location	Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park, North Island, New Zealand
Coordinates	38°40′50″S 176°39′40″E
Type	lagoon

Arohaki Lagoon (formerly Arahaki Lagoon) is a small ephemeral lagoon located in the Whakatāne District of the North Island, New Zealand. It is within the Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park, south and can be accessed via a 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) walking track.[1]

Etymology

The Ngāti Whare Claims Settlement Act 2012 changed the name of the lagoon from Arahaki to Arohaki.[2] According to the Ngāti Whare Deed of Settlement, the name is taken from a description of "the taking off of the birds, one by one, circling around".[3]

Significance to Māori

Arohaki Lagoon holds significance for the local iwi, Ngāti Whare. It is seasonally used as a mahinga manu (bird gathering place), and the fish in the lagoon were used as a food source.[3]

Fauna and flora

A juvenile southern bell frog at Arohaki Lagoon

Arohaki Lagoon contains kōkopu (native galaxiid fish), and serves as a sanctuary and breeding ground for various bird species.[3] Frogs can also be found at the lagoon.[1]

The lagoon contains a large population of water brome (Amphibromus fluitans), a threatened species of native grass.[4][5] Kahikatea trees line the perimeter of Arohaki Lagoon.[1]

References

1. "Arohaki Lagoon Track". Department of Conservation. n.d. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
2. "Notice of Treaty of Waitangi Settlement Altered Geographic and Crown Protected Area Names for Ngati Whare" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette. No. 52. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Government. 2012-05-10. pp. 1468–1469. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
3. Schedule to the Deed of Settlement of the Historical Claims of Ngāti Whare (PDF) (Report). New Zealand Government. 2009. p. 47.
4. "Big Population of Water Brome (Amphibromus Fluitans) Discovered At Arohaki Lagoon, Whirinaki" (Press release). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. 2006-03-20. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
5. de Lange, P. J.; Rolfe, J. R.; Barkla, J. W.; Courtney, S. P.; Champion, P. D.; Perrie, L. R.; Beadel, S. M.; Ford, K. A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P. B.; Ladley, K. (2018). Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017 (PDF) (Report). Department of Conservation. p. 31. ISSN 2324-1713. Retrieved 2020-06-14.