58 WAIKATO REGIONAL LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT The peninsula as a whole was likened by Maori to a giant canoe with its stern at Moehau, its bow at Te Aroha and its mooring ropes stretching into the Kaimais.6 It is believed that one of the early ancestors from the Arawa canoe was buried on Moehau Mountain (Moehau meaning windy sleeping place) and the sacred nature of Te Moehau has been shared and bequeathed by all the subsequent tribes. This landscape includes the Karangahake Gorge which is a sub-unit of the Coromandel Range, plus Waitawheta Gorge which runs into the Karangahake Gorge. The Karangahake Gorge runs from just west of Mackaytown to the western edge of Waikino and includes the Ohinemuri River and the steep slopes on either side. The gorge is very narrow and steep sided with cliffs, a rocky river, and native forest both on the rocky heights above, and alongside the river. Gold mining began in the Karangahake Gorge in 1875. Between 1910 and 1920, however, many of the mines declined as costs of gold recovery began to outweigh profits. The main batteries at Karangahake closed down and were demolished. The main factors contributing to identification of the Moehau and Coromandel Ranges as outstanding landscapes are the steeply and deeply incised volcanic landforms, which form the backdrop to literally hundreds of views, its bush cover, its values to Iwi, and its high natural character in places. Activities that could threaten those values include mining, exotic forestry, additional roads, and any form of residential development, farming and wilding pine infestation. 6 The Coromandel, Michael King and Robin Morrison. Tandem Press. 1993. Photo 3.7 Moehau Range
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