Finn explores the many delights of Roland’s Wood dog park. The indentation in the ground behind him is a kumara pit feature.
Finn explores the many delights of Roland’s Wood dog park. The indentation in the ground behind him is a kumara pit feature.
Taking the dog for a walk in Kerikeri can unleash new possibilities for learning about the area’s past.
Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Northland manager, Bill Edwards, said walking the dog can provide opportunities to appreciate different aspects of Northland’s rich archaeological heritage.
“Like many dog owners living in and around Kerikeri I often take our dog Finn for a walk at Roland’s Wood Dog Park which overlooks the Okura River and the Kerikeri inlet,” Edwards, who is also an archaeologist by training, said.
“Besides being a great place to walk, and a beautiful spot, it is also part of a wider cultural landscape that goes back centuries.”
Indentations in the ground – shallow, but clearly visible – feature among the park’s grove of mature oak trees hinting at the area’s earlier history.
“These are the remains of pits that were used to store kumara for example. If you walk a bit further along the path towards the point where you can see the Okura River, a scattering of shell visible on the path is actually part of the remains of a shell midden,” he said.
“All these features are evidence of the Māori history of this place.”
As well as being a great spot for bluebells in season, Kerikeri’s Roland’s Wood Dog Park also reveals some of the area’s history
Exploring beyond Roland’s Wood only reinforces the fact that the park sits within a much larger archaeological landscape extending over both sides of the Okura River.
“There are flat areas that were used for gardening as well as for dwellings, and down by the river you can see shell middens everywhere. Roland’s Wood was part of a much larger cultural landscape,” he said.
One midden down by the river in particular caught Edward’s attention on a recent stroll.
“I took a closer look and found three large fish bones eroding out of it. They were very large fish vertebrae. They appear to be the bones of a very large kingfish – so it’s probable that kingfish swam up into the shallows where they were probably caught and eaten.”
Remains of kingfish have been found in other similar estuary environments in Northland according to Edwards – including the upper Hatea River in Whangārei – where there is also an historic site called Tauranga Haku, meaning the landing place of kingfish in Māori, reinforcing the fact that archaeology and oral history often work hand in hand.
“Although we don’t necessarily associate shallow estuary environments like that of Okura River with kingfish, there is evidence to suggest that at the time these settlements were being used by Māori, kingfish were known to venture upstream – no doubt to the delight of waiting fishermen.”
Having a wider understanding of the different elements that make up cultural landscapes – particularly archaeological features – adds to the enjoyment of public spaces, even if it’s just walking the dog. The trick, though, is to look and don’t touch.
“All archaeological sites in New Zealand are protected by law. It’s illegal to modify or destroy an archaeological site without having an archaeological authority from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga so it’s important that people remember that, particularly when they’re out and about this summer enjoying these places,” he said.
