Here, between Napier and Clive, its waters flow into the Pacific Triangle, meeting the ocean of Kiwa.
This river name comes from two events. The first, that once upon a time an explorer called Mahutapoanui arrived. While crossing this river his pet dog disturbed a shoal of upokororo/whitebait, causing the water to ripple, ngaru.
The second event, adding to that, was that in another time a waka called Takitimu sailed through these Bay waters bearing south. On board was a tohunga/priest Ruawharo, with his three sons Matiu, Mākaro and Mokotuararo.
Ruawharo turned his sons into mauri/spiritual stones to extend and establish feeding grounds for whales and fish. He placed Matiu at Waikōkopu Harbour, Mākaro at Aropāoanui, and Mokotuararo by the entrance of the Ngaruroro River on a reef called Rangatira.
Hence the name Ngaruroro Mokotuararo ki Rangatira.
The original Ngaruroro river was a tribal boundary between Rangitāne on the southern side and Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Whatumamoa on the northern bank.
Travelling up from the river mouth are four significant pā sites - Tanenuiarangi, Kohupātiki, Pakowhai and Te Ngaue, with Kohupātiki being the only one still active.
Through Clive is Tanenuiarangi on its left bank, where Tucker Wool Scourers now stands. It was the major Rangitāne stronghold in Heretaunga when Kahungunu’s mokopuna, Taraia arrived to conquer around 1520. Tanenuiarangi Pā fell and became a Ngāti Kahungunu stronghold.
The early 1820’s saw Te Wera Hauraki visit Tanenuiarangi.
Wera was a northern Ngāpuhi chief but residing in Mahia, where he was living as their chief. Wera’s purpose was to persuade the people at Tanenuiarangi Pā to leave with him and live under his protection at Mahia.
This was because Waikato, with supporting tribes, were coming bringing a new technology, the musket, to attack Ngāti Kahungunu.
Tanenuiarangi Pā was abandoned and never resettled. After a generation in exhile the pā people returned and built a new home at Pākōwhai under the chief Puhara.
By the mid-1850’s Te Hapuku, chief of Te Hauke, had built te Ngaue Pā on the opposite bank to Pākōwhai. From there he was selling Heretaunga lands and Pakiaka forest logs. This led to the Battle of Pakiaka, during which Te Ngaue fell and Puhara was killed.
After this, and with the arrival of christianity, surviving Māori from these pā came together to build a new Kohupātiki pā.
Te Rangihau Pārua, a man from Waikato was spreading the whakapono/gospel and married Te Paea Te Aho of Kohupātiki.
Te Rangihau built Tānenuiarangi at Kohupātiki as a house of whakamoemiti/worship but without moko/carvings.
Today it stands fully carved. A repository of Ngāti Kahungunu oral history linking Takitimu to all waka of Aotearoa.
One pou inside talks of Kahungunu marrying Rongomaiwahine, and their daughter Rongomaipapa marrying Tūhourangi of Te Arawa waka – linking the wakas Te Arawa and Takitimu.
Another pou speaks of Tauheikuri, the baby sister of Rongomaipapa, marrying Tamataipunoa of Mataatua waka, forging another link with Takitimu waka to ensure peace.
Tānenuiarangi never lost its importance as a church. Kohupātiki built a home for the first Māori Bishop of Aotearoa, Bishop Bennett of Te Arawa, followed by the second, Bishop Panapa of Mataatua, and produced its own Anglican minister, Ike Robin, known to all as Gaga.
This small local area of Ngaruroro Mokotuararo ki Rangatira holds a big oral history.
