Piwhane / Spirits Bay facts for kids
Kapowairua / Spirits Bay is a quiet bay located at the very top of New Zealand's North Island. It's found at the end of the Aupouri Peninsula. This bay is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) wide. It's one of only two bays right at the northern tip of the island. There's also a long walking path, about 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles) long, that goes along the bay.
A Special Place for Māori Culture
This bay is very important and sacred in Māori culture. According to old stories, it's the place where the spirits of people who have passed away gather. They come here to leave this world and travel to their ancestral home, which is like an afterlife. They are said to depart from a large, old pōhutukawa tree that stands above the bay.
The bay has two Māori names: Piwhane and Kapowairua. The name Kapowairua means "to catch the spirit." This name comes from a famous Māori saying. It translates to: "I can shelter from the wind. But I cannot shelter from the longing for my daughter. I shall venture as far as Hokianga, and beyond. Your task (should I die) shall be to grasp my spirit."
These words were spoken by Tōhē, a respected chief of the Ngāti Kahu people. Tōhē is seen as a very important ancestor for the Muriwhenua tribes. He traveled south, giving names to more than a hundred places along the western coast. He eventually passed away near Maunganui Bluff.
Nature and Amazing Wildlife
Kapowairua / Spirits Bay is home to many different kinds of birds. You might see paradise ducks, New Zealand dotterels, oystercatchers, and Caspian terns here. Along the beach, you can also find interesting plants like the paraha vine.
History and News
In September 2010, something unusual happened at Spirits Bay. More than eighty pilot whales became stranded along five kilometers of the beach. About forty of these whales sadly died. Some drowned, and others had to be put to sleep because they were badly hurt by rocks.
The remaining whales were moved to Rarawa Beach. This was because the weather and sea conditions at Spirits Bay made it impossible to help them swim back into the ocean there. Most of the pilot whales that were moved to Rarawa Beach survived. This event was considered the biggest whale transport ever tried! This mass stranding happened just a month after another group of fifty-eight pilot whales got stuck at Karikari Beach.
In November 2011, the Department of Conservation (DoC) campsite at Spirits Bay was featured in the New Zealand Herald newspaper. It was named one of the top six camping spots in all of New Zealand.
See also
In Spanish: Bahía Espíritus para niños
