Gazing out across Huia Bay, do you feel the ancient tectonic forces that shaped this land? Right here at Huia Lookout, we can witness a landscape born of volcanic activity and shaped by time. This isn’t just a pretty view, it’s a history lesson etched into the very earth.
Huia Lookout offers panoramic views. Look across Huia Bay to the majestic rocky bluffs of the Karamatura Valley. To the left, you’ll spot Marama Valley with conical Te Komoki Peak. To the right, see Huia Valley. These hills are volcanic conglomerate. They were deposited on the Waitakere Volcano’s submarine slopes about 20 to 18 million years ago.
The Waitakere Volcano was huge. It stretched 60 km east to west. It reached 40 km north to south. After it stopped erupting 15 million years ago, most of it eroded away. The eastern slopes uplifted to form the Waitakere Ranges we see today.
Southwest, you can see the entrance to the Manukau Harbour. It is one of New Zealand’s largest harbours. To the south is the northern tip of the Awhitu Peninsula. This sand barrier built up over the last 2 million years. It created the sheltered Manukau Harbour behind it. The sand came from the erosion of Taranaki Volcano. It also came from large eruptions in the North Island over the last 1.6 million years.
The area of Huia was originally known as Te Huia. It is named after a Waikato Tainui chief. Te Huia seasonally lived on the northern shores of the Manukau Harbour. He liked it so much that he decided to stay. A long form of the name is Te Rau-o-te-Huia. It translates to “The Plumes of Te Huia.” This is a metaphor for his pride in the location.
Carbon dating shows that Tāmaki Māori occupied Huia from at least 1520.
In 1853, the Gibbons family arrived from Newfoundland. They set up a mill for kauri logging. The Karamatura Stream was one of the first dammed for this purpose. The Marama and Kakamatua streams followed in the 1860s. The Huia Stream was dammed in the 1870s.
Construction on the Upper Huia Dam began in 1924. This brought more development as houses were built for workers’ families. Material came by barge to Huia and then by tramway to the dam site. The dam finished in 1929. Many families then left. The tramway operated until the 1960s.
After the dam, Huia became popular with holidaymakers and retirees. As the valley reforested, a movement grew to develop the ranges as a regional park. The Centennial Memorial Park opened in 1940. It later became part of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park.
In the mid-1950s, a whale stranded at Huia. They tried to explode it with gelignite. It was mostly unsuccessful.
By the 1960s, artists and poets lived in Huia. In 1971, the Lower Huia Dam was built.
Today, Huia’s population is around 670. The area covers 3.49 square kilometers.
Huia Reserve sits on the shores of Huia Bay. It has picnic tables, a BBQ, a playground, and a half-pipe for skating. It is near the Lower Huia Dam, Upper Huia Dam, and Karamatura Falls.
The Upper Huia Dam opened in 1929. The Lower Huia Dam opened in 1971. Both are part of Auckland’s water supply. They are managed by Watercare Services.
Auckland Council operates accommodation in the area. This includes the Kiwanis Huia camp and Huia Lodge. Huia Lodge was the schoolhouse from 1894 to 1961.
The Huia Settlers Museum opened in 1984. It has relics from kauri felling and the wreck of HMS Orpheus. The Jonesonian Institute is a small eclectic museum and art gallery.
Many walking tracks and beaches surround Huia. The highest point in the Waitākere Ranges is Te Toiokawharu at 474m. It is accessible via the Twin Peaks Track.
Huia contains a unique ecology with native birds, insects, bats, and lizards. The Huia Trapping Group supports this ecosystem with Auckland Council. They aim for New Zealand to be predator-free by 2050.
From this Huia Lookout we see not just the beautiful landscape. We also understand the forces that shaped it. The Waitakere Volcano, the shifting tectonic plates, the history of logging, and the community’s efforts. All this contributes to what makes Huia so special.