Ask Phoebe: Cannibal story for Kawau Island

The conical structure was the original mark on Flat Rock.

We were chatting with friends and talking about sailing experiences around Kawau Island. Someone asked about the bay on the southeastern side known as Bostaquet Bay, and we wondered where the name came from. Can you help please? Jill Duncalfe, Remuera.

Bostaquet Bay, formerly known as Bosanquet Bay, was said to be the site of a cannibalistic feast, when Maori tribes from the mainland attacked the fierce Kawau tribes (probably Ngatitai and Ngatiwai), ending their control of the island, and their lives, presumably.

Who Mr or Mrs Bostaquet was I've no idea, but I'd be interested to hear.

Recently we fished around Flat Rock (approximately 10 miles east of Kawau Island). There is a peculiar conical structure on the rock adjacent to the concrete structure which has the navigation light on, as in the photo. Can you please advise the history and purpose of the conical structure? Kevin Berry, Howick.

Maritime New Zealand's lighthouse expert says the white structure is the MNZ light, Admiralty number K3738 Flat Rock, originally built around 1918, and updated around 1950. The white tower is fibreglass, mounted on a round concrete pier. Its signal is a white flash every seven seconds.

The dark stone spike is or was the original mark on the rock, probably pre-1900.

As you may know Pt Chevalier boasts several streets which carry the names of some of our native birds - Moa Rd, Kiwi Rd, Huia Rd, Tui Rd. It is popularly believed that these streets were named after the birds. In a conversation I had years ago with an engineer who helped with the development of Pt Chevalier, I was told that these streets were actually named after some minesweepers of the Royal NZ Navy. There were minesweepers named Kiwi, Tui, and Moa but not one named Huia. My question is - were the streets named after the birds, or were they named after the minesweepers, which were named after the birds?
Eric Moskowitz, Pt Chevalier.

A bit of research in Auckland Library's street name database indicates that the streets were named after the birds.