During the lead up to the unveiling of this plaque at John Wickliffe Plaza, the Ōtākou office worked extensively with Pouhere taonga/Heritage NZ to bring this commemoration to fruition. Unveiled on 22 March in recognition of the site’s importance and place in New Zealand’s national identity, the Toitū Tauraka Waka was one of several Kāti Māmoe-Kāi Tahu landing places in the Otago Harbour at the time of colonial settlement in the Otago region. Situated beside the Toitū Creek, the tauraka waka site provided a softly sloped beach for landing waka, a good point of entry to the surrounding bush and mahika kai, as well as access to fresh water. [Read more…]