Piha Stream is a stream of the

Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

North Island The North Island ( , 'the fish of Māui', historically New Ulster) is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but less populous South Island by Cook Strait. With an area of , it is the List ...

. It flows westwards from its sources in the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. ...

through

Piha Piha is a coastal settlement in West Auckland, on the western coast of the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is one of the most popular beaches in the area and a major day-trip destination for Aucklanders throughout the year, and especially ...

village, and enters the

Tasman Sea The Tasman Sea is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, who in 1642 wa ...

south of

Lion Rock Lion Rock, or less formally Lion Rock Hill, is a List of mountains, peaks and hills in Hong Kong, mountain in Hong Kong. It is located in Sha Tin District, between Kowloon Tong of Kowloon and Tai Wai of the New Territories, and is high. The ...

Geography

The stream begins in the

near the junction of Piha Road and Anawhata Road. It flows westwards towards the

, joined by a number of tributaries: Centennial Stream, McKenzie Stream, Maungaroa Stream, Glen Esk Stream, Slipper Gully and Ingram Stream. The upper section of the Piha Stream features a small canyon, and an estuary is found at the mouth of the stream.

Biodiversity

The stream is a known habitat for the shortjaw kōkopu and

giant kōkopu The giant kōkopu (''Galaxias argenteus'') is a threatened species of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish in the genus ''Galaxias'', found only in New Zealand. It can reach up to in length and in weight, making it the largest species in the family ...

, and the

pouched lamprey The pouched lamprey (''Geotria australis''), also known as the piharau in New Zealand's North Island, korokoro, kanakana in the South Island, or wide-mouthed lamprey, is a species in the genus ''Geotria'', which is the only genus in the family Ge ...

History

The stream is in the

rohe The Māori people of New Zealand use the word ' to describe the territory or boundaries of tribes (, although some divide their into several . Background In 1793, chief Tuki Te Terenui Whare Pirau who had been brought to Norfolk Island drew ...

Te Kawerau ā Maki Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Predominantly based in West Auckland (Hikurangi also known as Waitākere), it had 251 registered adult members as of J ...

, and was given the name by the ancestor Rakataura of the ''

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...

'' migratory canoe, who named it "The Waters of Kahu" after his wife Kahukeke, who found the Piha Valley area beautiful. The stream was used as a place by

Tāmaki Māori Tāmaki Māori are Māori ''iwi'' and ''hapū'' (tribes and sub-tribes) who have a strong connection to Tāmaki Makaurau (the Auckland Region), and whose rohe was traditionally within the region. Among Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the M� ...

to catch piharau (lampreys) as they ascended from the ocean. The Black Rock Dam was built around the year 1910 on the Piha Stream, as a driving dam for

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

logging. In 2008, a new footbridge was constructed across the Piha Stream. Designed by local artist Mandy Patmore, the bridge depicts the lifecycle of the

New Zealand longfin eel The New Zealand longfin eel (''Anguilla dieffenbachii'') is a species of freshwater eel that is endemic to New Zealand. It is the largest freshwater eel in New Zealand and the only endemic species – the other eels found in New Zealand are the ...

Kitenui Knob and Piha Stream 20240102 131431

Recreation

The Piha canyon is a place where abseiling can be done.

References

{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area Rivers of the Auckland Region Rivers of New Zealand Te Kawerau ā Maki Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area West Auckland, New Zealand Waitākere Ranges

Geography

Biodiversity

History

Recreation

See also

References