Tuai - Waikaremoana

Nau mai haere mai ki tuai - Welcome to Tuai

Tuai settlement, on the shore of the hydro lake Whakamarino, is 53km from Wairoa and 11km from the Urewera National Park Headquarters on State Highway 38.

In the mists of antiquity the tipua Hine-pukohurangi came from the sky and lured Te Maunga, the mountain, to earth at Onini. Their child was born a mortal being and was named Potiki. His descendants are the Children of the Mist - the Tuhoe of Nga-Potiki, whose history and genealogy cover more than one thousand years. They are the true tangata whenua having been in this area before the arrival of the canoes. There is no way of discovering exactly how long they have lived here - it has been lost in the mists of time.

Having created Lake Waikaremoana during her wild frenzy, the taniwha Haumapuhia heard the roar of the great ocean of Kiwa far to the east and decided to try and reach the ocean before daylight broke. She thrashed her way through a cleft in the mountain range at Te Whangaromanga near Onepoto but suddenly daylight, which is fatal to taniwha, came upon her. Haumapuhia was turned to stone and lay in the river bed with her head facing the ocean and her legs towards Waikaremoana. The water filled the gouges she had left, so forming Lake Waikaremoana. Maahu, her father was so overcome with remorse at having drowned his daughter that he went to the ocean of Kiwa and brought the river up to her with fishes and food for her sustenance. In doing so he earned her forgiveness. Haumapuhia lay undisturbed in the river bed for many many years until the waters of the Waikaretaheke River were diverted for the hydro-electricity scheme. It was then, just before the completion, that a landslide completely covered her and she can be seen no more.

The district bears the name of the ancestor Tuai, a descendant of the great peace-loving chief Ruapani. Tuai was a man of great stature and a mighty warrior. He had to be a skillful warrior as Whakamarino, as this area was then known, was highly prized for its proximity to the vast food resource of the Urewera and Lake Waikaremoana. Tuai's pa occupied the slopes across the present Tuai power house and his large kumara patch, Ahikumara, later became the site of the singlemen's camp during the hydro development period.

There are two marae in the district, Kuha and Waimako. Waimako got its name because the kereru would sit on the makomako bushes and eat their fill of berries and were then unable to fly very far. It so happened that under the makomako in this place, lay a large flat stone called Tamaionarangi that had many cup shaped hollows. When it rained the water ran off the leaves of the makomako and filled the hollows storing the water for the thirsty birds. When the pigeons drank the water from this stone it was wine coloured, stained with the juice of the makomako berries. Waimako has a carved house called Te Poho o Tuhoe Potiki which was opened in 1981. Kuha has a very ancient meeting house named Hinekura after a female ancestor. Hinekura is unique because of the colours painted on the rafters and wall panels. Most of the painted works were done using the rarauhe sticks and other natural tools because paint brushes were unknown during those times. The paints are of a rare blend and are hard to mix in these modern days. Hinekura is said to be over one hundred years old. During the passing years it has had its share of renovations.

In early times access to this area was restricted to walking and bridle tracks and it was not until 1897 that a vehicular road was completed from Wairoa to Onepoto. A through road to Rotorua was developed in 1930.

In 1898 the Kokako School was opened to cater for the needs of the children of the district. This well appointed school is still very active today having served four generations of some of the local families. The Tuai School opened in 1929 at the commencement of the hydro development and still continues today. Piripaua was opened in 1939 for hydro workers' children but once Piripaua Station was completed this school was moved to Kaitawa in 1944 as the workers shifted to this area. The Kaitawa School closed in 1957 but was reopened as Camp Kaitawa, an outdoor education centre. An active kohanga reo is available for the preschool children of the area.

Lake Waikaremoana lies 610m above sea level and the fall of the Waikaretaheke River is 448m within 8km. The hydroelectric generation potential of the area was noted towards the end of the First World War when extensive surveys were carried out. An initial local scheme to supply power to Wairoa was completed in 1923. This was necessary because river bar conditions at Wairoa often stopped the supply of coal to the town and freezing works.

Until hydro-electric developments, the lake's normal outflow was by leakage through underground channels near the outlet into the Waikaretaheke River. Before Kaitawa was built only in very wet seasons did the lake overflow at the outlet. When construction started, leakage had to be sealed off so that the lake's flow could be controlled. Divers pinpointed the underground leakage channels and barges dropped rock-fill to seal them.

The Tuai Power Station, designed to accommodate three generators, was officially opened in 1929 with only two units in place , the third generator being added in 1939. Work on the Kaitawa Power Station began in the early 1930s. Some delays were experienced and the two generators did not begin delivering electricity until 1948. Construction of Piripaua began in 1939 and the two generators began producing in 1943, becoming fully operational a year later.

Today the scheme makes use of Waikaremoana's water by carrying it to Kaitawa Power Station and then, via Tuai Station into Lake Whakamarino. The water then passes on to Piripaua Station before being finally discharged into the Waikaretaheke River.

Although the stations normally operate as a trio, they can run independently. A system of spillways and automatic weirs allows the water to be diverted in times of major maintenance. Kaitawa and Piripaua are unmanned and are centrally controlled from Tuai, where the power from the three stations is collected and transmitted. The scheme's total capacity is 132 megawatts and it contributes approximately 500 gigawatt hours to the country's requirements.

Access roads, housing and a hostel were built at Tuai at the commencement of the hydro development along with extensive single men's camps. At the same time a small, very picturesque interdenominational church was built of local stone on the foreshore of Lake Whakamarino.

The Tuai district is served by a well appointed general store which is open seven days a week. There are postal facilities and petrol available here. The craft shop carries a wide range of locally made handcraft ranging from Maori kits, taniko belts and bone carvings to hand knits, pottery and garments.

On the shore of Lake Whakamarino the Tuai Hostel offers friendly comfortable accommodation and excellent meals. The nearby camping ground at Kokako has sites for caravans and tents. During the holiday season the swimming pool, barbecue area, sports field and toilet facilities at the Kokako School are available for public use. The Waikaremoana District Club has an interesting display of large mounted trout caught in the local lakes and excellent facilities where visitors are made welcome.

An interesting hill country scenic drive is the Ohuka Erepiti Road which leads across to the Ruakituri Valley and then on to the majestic Te Reinga Fails, just 57km from Tuai. The Ruakituri area is also well known for trout fishing and rafting.

Lake or river fishing trips for brown or rainbow trout, and hunting safaris for pig or deer can be arranged. The Waikaretaheke River is renowned amongst white water canoeists for the thrills it provides.

For the lover of outdoor life this is a most appealing area being adjacent to Lake Waikaremoana and the vast Urewera. Experienced guides are available for Maori history and folklore; bush and mountain walks; and caving tours; with an emphasis on the Tuhoe perspective of conservation.

Tuai is a quiet settlement with easy access to our heritage of native flora and fauna. It is a friendly place offering something for all; tranquillity and peace for those needing a rest; scenery for the photographer and artist; legends and history for the inquiring mind; or a wide range of activities for the energetic.