Otago Peninsula Wildlife-Artworks

Watercolour and pencil artworks that we done to go along with our mini study on wildlife in the peninsula region

Albatross

Along with the wandering albatross, northern royal albatross are one of the largest seabirds in the world.

There are two species of royal albatross, southern and northern. The southern is slightly larger than the northern. At sea it can be distinguished from the northern by its white upper wings with black edges and tips, whereas the upper wings of the northern are completely black.

Royal albatrosses are some of the longest-lived birds in the world, regularly living into their 40s.

The nesting area on the headland at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Pensinsula is a 'hot spot' - a sheltered area where summer ground temperatures can reach 50 degrees celsius. These conditions aren't ideal for a genus that's far better adapted to subantarctic conditions, but they chose this place.

Toroa have great spiritual significance to many iwi. For example Moriori of the Chatham Islands wear plumes (raukura) of hopo (the local name for toroa) to signify their allegiance to the pacifist principles of the chief Nunuku Whenua. Taranaki iwi likewise wear toroa feathers to signify loyalty to the Parihaka prophet Te Whiti O Rongomai, a pioneer of non-violent civil disobedience

Click for Albatross Cam on the Otago Peninsula

Blue Penguin

The world’s smallest penguin – little penguin (also known as little blue penguin) – is just over 25 cm tall and weighs around 1 kg.Little penguins often return to where they hatched.
Click here to view Little Blue Penguins

Otago Peninsula Wildlife-Artworks

Watercolour and pencil artworks that we done to go along with our mini study on wildlife in the peninsula region

rare sea lions

New Zealand fur seals can be distinguished from sea lions by their pointy nose and smaller size. In New Zealand, fur seals also tend to be found on rocky shorelines, whereas sea lions prefer sandy beaches

Fur seals looking toward Taiaroa Heads

New Zealand fur seal feed mainly on squid and small mid-water fish but also take larger species such as conger eels, barracuda, jack mackerel and hoki

The worlds most endangered Penguin

the yellow-eyed Penguin

The Yellow Eyed penguin is only found on the Eastern and Southern coasts of New Zealand’s South Island.

Taranaki Iwi's

The area settled by Nga Mahanga includes Hauranga to Waiweranui, the chiefs of which by 1870 included Porikapa, Motu, Pirinihi, Iharaira, Komene, Rangiruhi and Minarapa.
 The settlement of the Taranaki coastal area by Maori is lost in the distant past.  It is possible that Maori lived in the Oakura area as early as 950AD, with Tini o Taitawaro the centre. These were some of the first Maori settlers. Tribes from the second wave of settlers went further north and were known as Te Atiawa. Tradition has it that the Kurahaupo waka was the first of the planned migration to Aotearoa, led by Whatonga. This was about 1300AD. But when he arrived here, there were already people living in the area. A number of the people on Kurahaupo opted to stay with them while Whatonga went elsewhere. The relevant ancestor on Kurahaupo for the Nga Mahanga hapu was Te Maungaroa. Taranaki state that Te Maungaroa was the captain of the Kurahaupo, but it is possible that this canoe visited twice.

TokoToko Korero

Tokotoko

A tokotoko is a traditional Māori carved ceremonial walking stick. On a marae it is a symbol of authority and status for the speaker holding it.

copied from tangled threads by Celia Geary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wzm3dWlKgo

A family member showing her delight at being able to hold Etahi's tokotoko https://gramha.net/media/1924427508146846186

tokotoko on the right(lighter colored)was carved by Tirikatene during world war 1(possibly in France/Egypt) and given to J Geary.

Etahi Taputai 

http://www.rcyachts.net/maori/TE_REO_MAY_2007.pdf

born approx. 1808 

watercolour painting of what Etahi may have looked like

She was born on the  Hangatahua River(also called Stoney River) near Taranaki
She was from the Nga Mahanga tribe her Canoe was Kurahaupo.

I don't believe Etahi was exchanged for potatoes...I am slightly romantic and I like to believe that young Etahi caught the eye of an older,lonely old whaler named William Geary...In those times it was considered an honour to "marry" a pakeha( copied from tangled threads by Celia Geary)

Etahi was sent off with the gift of her tokotoko by her whanau.

On a trip to Wellington

Some time around 1843 William went to Wellington to sell potatoes..

William was an industrious man ,always looking for ways to make a dollar..times where tough back then,you had to do what you had to do earn money.

Johnny Jones ,Williams old employer would make trips from Otago to Wellington..I think it was one of these trips that William went north with Johnny to sell goods..

Family history says that William gave a bag of spuds for a wife..a maori women named Etahi.it is said that he found a tribe of maori starving and he gave the spuds for a wife...family oral history can be like a game of whispers..by the time you get to the end of the story ,the whole story is wrong..

Charlotte Geary nee Dovey

I will tell the tale I was always told growing up..

William sent for Charlotte and the children once he was settled...Charlotte and the children where to board a ship to bring them to William but the ship sank and William believed that his entire family died..but infact Charlotte was ill and could not travel,so they did not board that ship...But William knew none of this.

--------------------------

Charlotte's Family

listed above is Charlotte's Parent and Sibling's

Charlotte died in 1839 leaving behind William and Charlotte's 5 children aged

Sarah(19)

Thomas(17)

John(15)

William(14)

Elizabeth(13)

in the 1841 census William(16) & John(17) are living with their uncle John Dovey

1841 Sarah(21) is servant for her uncle Richard 

1841 Elizabeth(15) with her aunt Sarah

Johnny Jones & Henry Crook

Whaling was on the decline by 1840 & whaling was tough ,hard life

William in his dealing with many people thru whaling met up with a fella named Johnny Jones

In 1838 he bought a whaling station and land near Waikouaiti, and also purchased a large area of land from Ngai Tahu chief "Bloody Jack" Tuhawaiki, amounting to a considerable part of what is now North and Central Otago. Much of this purchase was later annulled when South Island lands were ceded to the Crown. After long wrangling, Jones was eventually allowed to keep some 11,000 acres (45 km²). He established Cherry Farm also knows as Hawksbury Farm in 1838, He concentrated on food production at  Cherry Farm (where in 1862 he built a flour mill), to supply not only the Waikouaiti community but also Dunedin

In 1840, Jones' Waikouaiti station became the organised settlement in the eastern South Island known as Matanaka Farm. About a dozen families from Sydney were settled close to the station as a farming community, providing food for the station, growing crops and raising sheep and cattle.

Matanaka Farm

Are the oldest farm buildings in New Zealand take a look here 

William worked for Johnny Jones on his farm, this type of work would be more up William's ally than whaling, being he already had skills from life back in England and while in Van Dieman's land.

Johnny Jones was having financial issues and could not pay his workers he paid William with a cow,which William had shipped from Waikouaiti to Otago Heads.

In the booklet "Tangled Threads"written by Celia Geary it states this " according to his grandson(William's grandson) James Geary, William  leased a piece of land from Karatai Te Uaite and cleared bush.

Afterwards he purchased 100 acres from Tairoa." Apparently Henry Crooks drew up this agreement. 

Pilot Boatman Henry Crooks 

copied from Hardwick Knights book on Otago Peninsula