Tongaporutu is a settlement in northern Taranaki, in the North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 of New Zealand

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...

. It is located on State Highway 3

New Zealand State Highway network

The New Zealand State Highway network is the major national highway network in New Zealand. Just under 100 roads in both the North and South Islands are State Highways...

 at the mouth of the Tongaporutu River

Tongaporutu River

The Tongaporutu River is a river of the Taranaki Region of New Zealand's North Island. It initially flows north from its origins near Tahora, turning west to reach the Tasman Sea coast close to the settlement of Tongaporutu, 15 kilometres south of Mokau....

, 15 kilometres south of Mokau

Mokau

Mokau is a small town on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island, located at the mouth of the Mokau River on the North Taranaki Bight. Mokau lies just north of the boundary between the Taranaki Region and the Waikato Region...

.Tongaporutu is well known in New Zealand for its 'Three Sisters' rock formations and its Maori petroglyphs carved into cave rock walls. However,both the Maori rock carvings and the 'Three Sisters formations are constantly being eroded by the Tasman sea.

Business history

in New Plymouth

New Plymouth

New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....

 contains the letter book of the Waitara

Waitara, New Zealand

Waitara is the name of a town and a river in the northern part of the Taranaki Region of the North Island of New Zealand. Waitara is located just off State Highway 3, 15 km northeast of New Plymouth....

-based shipping agent, Lewis Clare (died 1960). This book records coastal shipping from and into small North Taranaki ports (including those mentioned in de Jardine's book) between 1910 and 1920. See

Geology

Scale: 1: 63 360 (i.e. 1 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 63 360 (i.e. 1 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 63 360 (i.e. 1 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 63 360 (i.e. 1 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 63 360 (i.e. 1 in. to the mile)

Maps

Scale: 1: 39 600 (i.e. 1/1.6 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 3 168 (i.e. 1/20 in. to the mile) Scale: 1: 50 000 (i.e. 1/1.27 in. to the mile) NZMS 260 ; v Q18

People

• Genealogical information, a family Bible, and sketches of the Mohakatino and Tongaporutu Rivers are contained within the Messenger family collection held within in New Plymouth
  New Plymouth
  New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
  
  . William Messenger, his wife, Mary, and their adult children initially settled at Omata
  Omata
  Omata is a locality in Taranaki, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 45 just southwest of New Plymouth.The population was 474 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 27 from 2001....
  
  upon arriving in New Zealand in 1853. See ; and also and