Tokatoka Scenic Reserve

The Tokatoka Scenic Reserve is a reserve in the Northland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located near the Wairoa River, about southeast of Dargaville.
The reserve's most prominent feature is a distinctive high peak.

History

According to Māori mythology, a group of small mountains traveled from Hawaiki in search of a new home. The largest, Manaia, moved ahead of the others and eventually settled at the head of Whangarei Harbour. The remaining mountains hesitated to cross the Wairoa River, and one was lost in the attempt. As a result, mountains such as Maungaraho and Tokatoka stayed in their current locations, where they remain today.
In the 1800s, when the nearby Kaipara was a busy shipping harbour, a river pilot lived at the base of Tokatoka and climbed the peak to watch for ships entering the harbour.

Geology

Tokatoka Peak is the eroded remnant of the plug of an extinct andesite volcano. It was formed when lava solidified in the pipe of an extinct volcano. The cone has worn away, leaving the plug behind.

Etymology

In Māori, toka is either a rock or the verb to be solid or firm. Reduplication is a common feature in the Māori language with tokatoka meaning to be rock hard or rocky.