Ocean Grove, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Ocean Grove, also known as Tomahawk, is a suburb in the southeast of the New Zealand
city of Dunedin
. A semi-rural residential suburb on the Pacific
coast at the southwestern end of the Otago Peninsula
, Ocean Grove is located 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of Dunedin city centre.
The suburb is isolated from much of the city by the bluff of Lawyer's Head
, which rises immediately to the west of the suburb and the Andersons Bay Cemetery
, and as such has the feel of a separate community. The suburb lies close to the banks of the Tomahawk Lagoon
, a twin-lobed lagoon
noted for its bird life. The inner lobe is a wildlife reserve. Tomahawk Lagoon is separated from the sea at low tide by Tomahawk Beach, which runs east from the Lagoon's mouth for about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). A smaller beach, Smaill's Beach, lies further to the east, beyond which is the outcrop of Maori Head, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the lagoon's mouth. A rocky reef and the small Bird island lie close to the headland.
The suburb was known as Tomahawk until the 1930s, the name not being a reference to the weapon, but rather possibly an anglicised form of the Māori
words tomo haka, meaning "dance by a gravesite". The suburb became part of Dunedin City in 1968. The suburb has one main road, Tomahawk Road, which runs roughly parallel with the coast and links with the suburbs of Andersons Bay
and Tainui in the west. In the east, it becomes the rural Centre Road, which climbs to the ridge at the centre of the Otago peninsula before joining with Highcliff Road, the ridge road which runs between Shiel Hill
and Portobello
.
Ocean Grove's most notable structures are the remains of two World War II
gun emplacements. These stand close to the Jack Fox Lookout, which is at the top of the promontory which separates Tomahawk Beach from Smaill's Beach. A notable two-storey house, Glen Cairn, is located at Smaill's Beach. It is now used as the headquarters of the Tautuku Fishing Club. Between Tomahawk Beach and Tomahawk Road is Tomahawk Domain and recreation ground, which serves as a sports ground and is home to Grants Braes football club.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
city of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. A semi-rural residential suburb on the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast at the southwestern end of the Otago Peninsula
Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for...
, Ocean Grove is located 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of Dunedin city centre.
The suburb is isolated from much of the city by the bluff of Lawyer's Head
Lawyer's Head
Lawyers Head is a prominent landmark on the coast of Otago, New Zealand. Located within the city of Dunedin, this rocky headland juts into the Pacific Ocean at the eastern end of the city's main beach, Saint Kilda Beach...
, which rises immediately to the west of the suburb and the Andersons Bay Cemetery
Andersons Bay Cemetery
Andersons Bay Cemetery is a major cemetery in the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a rocky outcrop which forms the inland part of Lawyer's Head, a promontory which juts into the Pacific Ocean...
, and as such has the feel of a separate community. The suburb lies close to the banks of the Tomahawk Lagoon
Tomahawk Lagoon
Tomahawk Lagoon is a twin-lobed lagoon, located at the western end of the Otago Peninsula within the city limits of Dunedin, New Zealand. It lies close to the southeastern edge of the city's main urban area, near the suburb of Ocean Grove, which lies close to its southern shore...
, a twin-lobed lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
noted for its bird life. The inner lobe is a wildlife reserve. Tomahawk Lagoon is separated from the sea at low tide by Tomahawk Beach, which runs east from the Lagoon's mouth for about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi). A smaller beach, Smaill's Beach, lies further to the east, beyond which is the outcrop of Maori Head, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the lagoon's mouth. A rocky reef and the small Bird island lie close to the headland.
The suburb was known as Tomahawk until the 1930s, the name not being a reference to the weapon, but rather possibly an anglicised form of the Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
words tomo haka, meaning "dance by a gravesite". The suburb became part of Dunedin City in 1968. The suburb has one main road, Tomahawk Road, which runs roughly parallel with the coast and links with the suburbs of Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay
Andersons Bay is a suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located in the southeast of the city's urban area, southeast of the city's centre...
and Tainui in the west. In the east, it becomes the rural Centre Road, which climbs to the ridge at the centre of the Otago peninsula before joining with Highcliff Road, the ridge road which runs between Shiel Hill
Shiel Hill
Shiel Hill is a residential suburb of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. It is located at the southeastern edge of the city's urban area, southeast of the city's centre at the western end of the Otago Peninsula, close to the isthmus joining the peninsula to the mainland...
and Portobello
Portobello, New Zealand
Portobello is a village beside the Otago Harbour halfway along the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin City, New Zealand. It lies at the foot of a small peninsula between Portobello Bay and Latham Bay....
.
Ocean Grove's most notable structures are the remains of two World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
gun emplacements. These stand close to the Jack Fox Lookout, which is at the top of the promontory which separates Tomahawk Beach from Smaill's Beach. A notable two-storey house, Glen Cairn, is located at Smaill's Beach. It is now used as the headquarters of the Tautuku Fishing Club. Between Tomahawk Beach and Tomahawk Road is Tomahawk Domain and recreation ground, which serves as a sports ground and is home to Grants Braes football club.