Turakina, New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Turakina is an old Māori settlement situated south of Whanganui
city on the North Island
of New Zealand
. Turakina village derives its name from the Turakina River
, which cut its passage to the sea from a spring on Mount Ruapehu
. The original inhabitants of the area were the descendants of the Kahui Rere and the Kahui Maunga, later naming themselves Ngā Wairiki. However after the migration of Ngāti Apa
from the Bay of Plenty
toward Rotoaira then south to the Rangitikei river, they found themselves slowly being taken over by generations of intermarriage with the latter tribe. The Hapū or subtribe still living simultaneously at Turakina to the present day is Ngā Āriki, who have two marae
not far from each other on the beach road, Tini Waitara and Kahurauponga.
Scottish settlers arrived in the area in the 19th century, and still live there to the present day. Many Māori families intermarried with the Scottish also. The celtic feel is still strong in Turakina, Highland games are held every year late January, attracting many from around New Zealand.
Turakina is notable as the site of the first of New Zealand's Children's Health Camps, inaugurated by Dr. Elizabeth Gunn
in November 1919.
Whanganui
Various places in New Zealand are called Whanganui:*Whanganui, a city at the mouth of the Whanganui River, also often spelled "Wanganui", Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui District, Manawatu-Wanganui Region*Whanganui Island, Waikato Region...
city on 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...
. Turakina village derives its name from the Turakina River
Turakina River
The Turakina River is a river of the southwestern North Island of New Zealand. It flows generally southwestward from its source south of Waiouru, roughly paralleling the larger Whangaehu River, and reaches the sea 20 kilometres southeast of Wanganui....
, which cut its passage to the sea from a spring on Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu
Mount Ruapehu, or just Ruapehu, is an active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. It is 23 kilometres northeast of Ohakune and 40 kilometres southwest of the southern shore of Lake Taupo, within Tongariro National Park...
. The original inhabitants of the area were the descendants of the Kahui Rere and the Kahui Maunga, later naming themselves Ngā Wairiki. However after the migration of Ngāti Apa
Ngati Apa
-Geography:The people of Ngāti Apa live in the Rangitīkei region, towards the south-west of the North Island of New Zealand. Their traditional lands extend between the Mangawhero, Whangaehu, Turakina and Rangitīkei rivers. This area is bounded by Whanganui River in the north-west, and Manawatu...
from the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
toward Rotoaira then south to the Rangitikei river, they found themselves slowly being taken over by generations of intermarriage with the latter tribe. The Hapū or subtribe still living simultaneously at Turakina to the present day is Ngā Āriki, who have two marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
not far from each other on the beach road, Tini Waitara and Kahurauponga.
Scottish settlers arrived in the area in the 19th century, and still live there to the present day. Many Māori families intermarried with the Scottish also. The celtic feel is still strong in Turakina, Highland games are held every year late January, attracting many from around New Zealand.
Turakina is notable as the site of the first of New Zealand's Children's Health Camps, inaugurated by Dr. Elizabeth Gunn
Elizabeth Gunn (paediatrician)
Dr. Elizabeth Catherine Gunn was a pioneer in the field of children's health in New Zealand.Gunn was born in Dunedin, the daughter of an ironmonger whose interests in medicine led him to change career initially to pharmacy and then to dentistry. She attended Timaru and Otago Girls' High Schools,...
in November 1919.