Tikapa facts for kids
Tikapa is a small community in the Gisborne region of New Zealand. It is located on the southern side of where the Waiapu River meets the sea. Tikapa is also north of a town called Ruatoria. In 1952, about 156 people lived in Tikapa, and most of them were Māori. Today, some old houses are still standing, but many have been left empty.
On the road heading towards the coast of Tikapa, there is a small hilltop cemetery called Taumata. People say that this is where Manuel José was buried. He was a Spanish sailor who hunted whales in the early 1800s. Local Māori leaders asked him to stay in the Waiapu Valley. Manuel José married into the community and had many children. Today, over 10,000 people are his descendants.
The Tikapa Valley was also planned to have a school in the mid-1800s for children living there. However, Sir Āpirana Ngata, a famous Māori leader, suggested building the school a bit further inland. It was built closer to Waiomatatini and stayed there until it closed in the 1970s.
Tikapa Marae: A Special Meeting Place
Tikapa Marae is a special meeting place located on a hill in the area. It belongs to the Ngāti Porou hapū (sub-tribes) called Te Whānau a Hineauta and Te Whānau a Pōkai. The marae includes the Pōkai meeting house, which was built in the late 1800s. It also has the Pohatu dining room and the Hinekopeka Urupa cemetery.
In October 2020, the New Zealand Government helped upgrade the marae. They gave $113,765 from the Provincial Growth Fund. This project was expected to create about 5.5 jobs for people in the community.
