Today, I set out with a specific goal: to locate the site of Smiths Whare, an old fishing hut near the confluence of Wainuiomata Stream and Wainuiomata River. A photo of this hut was taken in March 1888 by Frederick James Halse of Wellington. The photo includes five men in front of the hut. But where was this hut located exactly and was there any evidence of its location today? I set out to answer these most important questions and to get some exercise in the process.
Upon looking for any clues from old photos or records of the location, my curiosity was sparked by a photograph that provided a key clue to its exact location. On April 1, 1888, Frederick James Halsea took a photo of a bridge with Sinclair Sawmill Hut in the background. According to the Alexander Turnbull Library, the photo was taken from “Stock’s Whare,” which was another name for Smith’s Whare. By studying the photo, I realised that Wainuiomata Stream flows toward Smiths Whare, though it couldn’t flow directly into the hut as it looks in the photo, so the hut had to be elevated above the stream. With this clue in mind, I decided I would follow the stream until it encountered a bank or cliff where the stream was forced to change direction. Another pertinent detail in that photo is the bridge which aligns perfectly today with the location of the culvert under Moores Valley Road.
With this information, I set off for Wainuiomata. I drove to the small turn-off on Moores Valley Road, where I could access both the Wainuiomata Stream and interestingly, another spot that I had been meaning to explore for some time, a small creek flowing down the hillside on what was once called The Rock. I would do this second adventure if I had the time.
After reaching the turnoff on Moores Valley Road, I prepared my gear, packing essentials like a drink, jacket, and other useful items, and set off toward the culvert. Once I descended to the Wainuiomata Stream, I followed its path until it turned sharply at a cliff, marking the location of Smiths Whare which was once located above. Although I had found the spot, the cliff seemed nearly impossible to climb. The area below was wet and muddy, with flood debris and pools of stagnant water everywhere, making the terrain tricky to walk along.
I considered abandoning the route to ask permission from the private landowners above If I could explore the area above the cliff, but decided instead to attempt scaling the cliff just before the steam ran up to the cliff by using some trees as anchors. Once at the top, I followed the edge of a potentially electrified fence and eventually descended when the stream veered away from the cliff.
Although I didn’t find any remnants of Smiths Whare below, I was now standing on what I believed to be the old road or track visible in an 1880s photo of the confluence. Initially, I thought the stream had branched into two, but upon further investigation, it turned out to be a road / track as it crossed the Wainuiomata River and continued on toward Moness, a Sinclair property. Knowing this, I could see the land I was standing on did resemble an old road, albeit overgrown with blackberry bushes that left my legs scratched. After some crawling under bushes, the terrain opened up, making it easier to walk toward the river. Just before the confluence was a boulder bank, but I wasn’t sure if it was natural or man-made, but I suspect the latter.
At the Wainuiomata River, I realised that while I had found the locations as seen in old photos and descriptions, I had no physical remnants of the whare which if they existed here were likely washed away by floods. What I did find was likely an old road and some modern debris and a skeleton of a sheep or goat, but nothing particularly old.
Now what? Instead of retracing my steps back over the challenging cliff, I decided to cross the Wainuiomata River and head toward Richard Prouse Park. Before doing so, I explored along the cliff’s edge as far as I could, aiming to cross just before Cliff Pool where the river runs directly along the cliff face. However, the terrain became difficult before Cliff Pool, so I opted to cross the river early and walk through Richard Prouse Park to get to the pool from the other side, where I managed to take some photos.
From there, I made my way to the bridge across the river and continued toward the eastern end of the park, capturing photos of the large pipe that spans the river. On the eastern side of the park, I headed for the cliff again and tried to follow it till I got to Reservoir Road, however I was stopped by dense blackberry bushes and gorse. My alternate route took me across a buried pipe near Colemans Tunnel, whose entrance has been entirely bricked up and buried.
I then continued along Reservoir Road and Whitcher Grove, passed numerous holly trees and the site where House Northbrook was once located. A I walked I was conjuring up the courage to visit the house on the property where Smiths Whare was located in order to inquire about any knowledge of this old fishing hut. If they didn’t know anything, then I hoped they’d let me photograph the likely location. As I walked down their driveway, I noticed a large gathering, with dozens of cars parked and vehicles passing me on the driveway. It was clear that some event was happening on the property.
Undeterred, I took photos along the way, including one of a shed that I believed marked the spot where Smiths Whare once stood. The shed sat on elevated ground above the Wainuiomata Stream, positioned just far enough back from the cliff to be considered safe. The cliff itself, likely subject to ongoing erosion due to the stream’s flow, appeared to be the same one described in historical references. The location’s elevation and its distance from the cliff edge seemed to offer protection from potential erosion, which would have been the smart thing to do for any structure built in this area. Reflecting on the photograph description I had relied on to locate Smiths Whare, I realized that the “exact” location might be more loosely interpreted. It’s possible that the photo was taken from a some meters away but still described as being taken from the hut. Nonetheless, the location and immediate surrounds was ideal for a fishing hut in the 1880s, as the area had been deforested back then. The plateau would have provided clear views of both the Wainuiomata Stream and Wainuiomata River, a perfect spot for a fisherman’s retreat.
Satisfied with my exploration, I headed back to the road and my car. Mission accomplished. The experience gave me a deeper understanding of the terrain here and some interesting photographic opportunities, even if it meant navigating around a few obstacles and coming away with numerous blackberry vine cuts. Now, it was time to explore the creek flowing down the hillside next to where I had parked my car…
