“The Plumes of Te Huia” once described this place. Now we simply call it Huia Scenic Reserve. The name honors a Waikato Tainui chief. He loved this bay so much that he decided to stay. Let me tell you about this unique area.
Huia Scenic Reserve sits in West Auckland. It is part of the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Most houses here line Huia Road. This road curves around Huia Bay toward Little Huia.
A long time ago tectonic forces shaped this area. The Pacific Plate and Australian Plate collided. This uplifted the Waitākere Ranges. It also caused the Manukau Harbour to sink. Huia Creek and its valley likely formed along a fault line. This occurred during that event. After the Last Glacial Maximum sea levels rose. River mouths in West Auckland flooded. Beaches formed at the mouths of Tasman Sea rivers. But Huia lacked sand in the Manukau Harbour. So Big and Little Muddy Creeks became tidal mudflats. Huia features a warm lowland pūriri forest. A band of diverse pōhutukawa and rātā fringe the coast of Huia Bay.
Originally the area was known as Te Huia. This was after the Waikato Tainui chief. He seasonally lived on the Manukau Harbour’s northern shores. He eventually stayed because he loved it. The long name Te Rau-o-te-Huia means “The Plumes of Te Huia”. This plume was a metaphor for his pride in the location. The English translation “The Huia” was used until the 1970s. Now, it is simply called “Huia”. Shell middens in Hinge Bay show Tāmaki Māori occupied Huia from at least 1520.
In 1853 the Gibbons family arrived from Newfoundland. They set up a mill for kauri logging. Karamatura Stream was one of the first dammed for this. This was followed by the Marama and Kakamatua streams in the 1860s. The Huia Stream was dammed in the 1870s. The Gibbons family was joined by the Kilgour family. They established a farm in the flatlands. The Foote family also came.
Construction on the Upper Huia Dam began in 1924. Houses were built for workers’ families. Material came by barge to Huia. Then a tramway took it to the dam site. The dam was completed in 1929. Many families then left. The tramway stayed until the 1960s. After the dam, the area became popular with holidaymakers. The Huia valley reforested. This led to developing the ranges as a regional park. The Centennial Memorial Park opened in 1940. It later became part of the Waitākere Ranges.
In the mid-1950s a whale stranded at Huia. An attempt to explode it with gelignite failed. By the 1960s artists and poets lived at Huia. In 1971 the Lower Huia Dam was built.
Huia is a rural settlement of 3.49 square kilometers. It had an estimated population of 670 in June 2024.
Alfreds Huia Store opened in 1886. It is the local general store and cafe. Huia Reserve sits on Huia Bay’s shore. It has picnic tables a BBQ a playground and a basketball half-court. 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 supply water to Auckland. Watercare Services manages them.
Auckland Council runs accommodation in the area. This includes the Kiwanis Huia camp Huia Lodge Barr cottage and Barn Paddock. Huia Lodge was the schoolhouse from 1894 to 1961. The local secondary school is Green Bay High School.
The Huia Settlers Museum opened in 1984. It is near Karamatura Park’s entrance. It has relics from kauri felling and the HMS Orpheus wreck.
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. It is accessible via the Twin Peaks Track.
Huia contains a unique ecology. Native birds insects bats and lizards live here. The Huia Trapping Group helps protect this ecosystem.
Huia’s volunteer fire brigade serves nearby communities. The Huia-Cornwallis Community Group manages the Huia Hall. They organize community events.
Whether you seek relaxation adventure or a glimpse into New Zealand’s past Huia Scenic Reserve offers a unique experience. Take a moment to appreciate the blend of natural beauty and rich history. It defines this special place.