Pūkaki Bridge

Gazing at Pukaki Bridge, imagine the canoes that once glided through these waters. Pukaki Creek, the waterway spanned by this bridge, has a rich history intertwined with the indigenous Māori people and the growth of Auckland. The bridge itself, completed in 1995, stands as a modern marker in a landscape steeped in ancient tales. Pukaki Creek flows south from Māngere and Papatoetoe, eventually merging with the Manukau Harbour. It’s more than just a creek. It was a vital part of the Waokauri / Pukaki portage, a crucial route connecting the Manukau Harbour and Tāmaki River. Tāmaki Māori used this portage, bypassing others controlled by rival tribes. This area held deep spiritual significance. It was part of Ngā Tapuwae a Mataoho, meaning “The Sacred Footprints of Mataoho”. Mātaoho, the volcano god, is believed to have created the Auckland volcanic field. Pukaki Creek has witnessed centuries of change. From the 15th century, Tāmaki Māori settled along this coastline. Later, during the 17th and 18th centuries, the area became farmland under the Waiohua confederation. After the defeat of their paramount chief, Kiwi Tāmaki, around 1740, many Waiohua fled. Those who returned and settled along Pukaki Creek became known as Te Ākitai Waiohua. The mid-1800s brought conflict and displacement. Lieutenant-Colonel Marmaduke Nixon lived on the creek’s western shores. Te Ākitai Waiohua resided on the eastern side. In 1863, before the Invasion of the Waikato, Te Ākitai Waiohua were forced to leave their land or pledge allegiance to the New Zealand government. Nixon even arrested his neighbor, the Te Ākitai Waiohua rangatira Āhaka Takaanini. Takaanini later died on Rakino Island. Following the war and land confiscations, British immigrant farmers took over much of the land. Te Ākitai Waiohua began their return in 1866. They settled west of Pukaki Creek and at Ihumātao. By the 1890s, they had built a marae which was used until the 1950s. This period also saw the rise of market gardens alongside Pukaki Creek, cultivated by Chinese New Zealand gardeners. Fay and Joe Gock developed the Owairaka Red kumara variety here, a disease-resistant strain originating from plants gifted by Pūkaki Marae. Today, Pūkaki Marae stands proudly near Pukaki Creek, a testament to the resilience and enduring connection of Te Ākitai Waiohua to this land. Pukaki Bridge, spanning this historic waterway, invites us to reflect on the layers of stories etched into this landscape.