Earthsea Gallery

Just a short walk from Wainui Bay is Taupo Point. Taupo Point was the pa site of the Tumatakokiri tribe whose warriors were thought to have killed 4 of Abel Tasman’s men in 1642. The pits, hollows and terraces of the Maori pa still remain. In 1978 the surrounding hills were ravaged by fire, but Taupo Point was spared. Consequently there is an interesting and diverse flora clinging to this fertile limestone outcrop. Summer evening picnics at Taupo Point are very special. The beach glows under the fading evening light and the kanukas turn a rich, bronze colour which contrasts with the emerald colour of the sea.