geo.wikisort.org - Reservoir

Lake Kawaupaka, also known as Lake Kawaupaku, is a small lake near Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in the Auckland Region of New Zealand.[1] The lake is on private land,[2] and is one of the few dune lakes in the region to be surrounded by native forest.[3][4] It is located south-west of Lake Wainamu.

Lake Kawaupaka
Lake Kawaupaka in 1904
Lake Kawaupaka
Location	Auckland Region, North Island
Coordinates	36°53′40″S 174°27′30″E
Basin countries	New Zealand
Max. length	0.5 km (0.31 mi)
Max. width	0.25 km (0.16 mi)

Geology

The lake was originally a river valley. 7,200 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, when sea-levels began to rise, Te Henga / Bethells Beach began to form, as sand dunes migrated into the river valley. When sand dunes formed a barrier, Lake Kawaupaka began to form as a freshwater lake.[5]

History

The lake is within the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, and was known as Roto Kawaupaku.[6] The name refers to the Little black cormorant (kawaupaka), who were seen as the guardians of the lake.[7] The lake was part of the greater Te Henga / Bethells Beach and Waitākere River area of settlements, with the localities of Tūrapa located on the north shore and, Pākōwhatu to the east of the lake.[6] Pākōwhatu was a pā that used Ngāti Awa fortification techniques, learnt from the Ngāti Awa people as they travelled south past the Waitākere Ranges area towards Kawhia Harbour and Taranaki.[6]

The lake remained mostly undisturbed during European colonisation. During the 19th century, flax was harvested from the lake, and pioneer John Neale Bethell planted an orchard on the lakeside.[8] The lake was purchase din 1979 by the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, after which it was administered by the Auckland Regional Council as a nature reserve.[5]

See also

• List of lakes in New Zealand

References

---