Portages formed important links between the east and west coasts of the Auckland region. Some of the most frequently used portages were those on either side of the
Auckland isthmus: the Te Tō Waka portage at
Ōtāhuhu (the shortest portage between the east and west coasts), alongside the Karetu and Waokauri / Pūkaki portages, connected the estuarial
Tāmaki River to the
Manukau Harbour in the west, while Te Toanga Waka, the
Whau River portage, connected the
Waitematā Harbour to the Manukau Harbour in the west. After these portages were used, a second portage, Te Pai o Kaiwaka at
Waiuku, could be used to access the
Waikato River in the south. Another major link was Te Tōangaroa, which bridged the gap between the Waitematā Harbour and the
Kaipara River/
Kumeū River system, which connected to the
Kaipara Harbour in the north.
Opou portage The Opou portage linked two arms of the
Kaipara Harbour, the
Oruawharo River and the
Tauhoa River, separated by the Okahukura Peninsula, at the site of the modern-day
Ātiu Creek Regional Park.
Aotoetoe and Weiti portages The Aotoetoe and Weiti portages connected the Kaipara Harbour in the west to
Whangaparāoa and the
Hibiscus Coast in the east. Some sources describe the portage as linking Lucas Creek to
Browns Bay.
Te Tōangaroa Te Tōangaroa, also known as the Ngongitepata or Riverhead portage, is the portage linking the Kaipara Harbour with the
Waitematā Harbour via the
Kaipara River and
Kumeū River. During the colonial era of New Zealand, Te Tōangaroa became a coach route for early labourers. A canal was proposed to bridge the gap between the two rivers, however this was found to be too expensive. Instead, the
Kumeu–Riverhead Railway was constructed,
Takapuna and Kukuwaka portages A portage at
Takapuna linked Oneoneroa / Shoal Bay in the Waitematā Harbour with St Leonards Bay. and Te Tōanga Waka ki Motukaraka, linked the west coast
Manukau Harbour to the east coast
Waitematā Harbour via a north-south route, following the
Whau River, the Avondale Stream (Wai Tahurangi); which in modern times is marked by Portage Road. Most of the portage was easily traversable, with waka able to be paddled to Kotuitanga (
Ken Maunder Park) and relatively easily moved along the Avondale Stream. The Whau portage was one of the most important in the Auckland region, and Te Whau
pā, adjacent to the Manukau Harbour entrance to the route, controlled the waka traffic along the route. In the latter 19th century, a canal was proposed along the Whau Portage, however this was abandoned after the
North Island Main Trunk railway connected Auckland and Wellington in the 1910s.
Karetu portage The Karetu was the northernmost of three portages connecting the Manukau Harbour and the
Tāmaki River. It connected Anns Creek (the north-east stream of the
Māngere Inlet to Karetu, south of the
Panmure Basin, approximately one kilometre south of
Mutukaroa / Hamlins Hill Regional Park. Compared to the shorter Te Tō Waka, the Karetu portage had less elevation. the
Ōtāhuhu portage, Tauoma portage or the Tāmaki portage, is the shortest portage connecting the east and west coasts of New Zealand, located at
Ōtāhuhu. The portage connected the Māngere Inlet of the Manukau Harbour south of
Ōtāhuhu / Mount Richmond to the Tāmaki River, using the approximate route taken by the modern
Portage Road. Due to its short length and easy gradient, it was one of the most important portages in Aotearoa, and one of the main communication links between Northland and the central North Island. Te Tō Waka was used from the earliest times of Māori settlement in Aotearoa. The portage features prominently in the stories of the
Tainui migratory waka, as the crew used the portage to cross westwards to the Manukau Harbour. The existence of the portage and its frequent use by war
taua was one of the major reasons why much of the region was deserted during the Musket Wars. flourished due to its strategic location at Te Tō Waka, linking to both the Manukau Harbour and the Tāmaki River. In 1886, WN Blair of the
Public Works Department mooted the idea again, while also noting that the canal would need a
lock to compensate for the different tides on the east and west coasts. The idea was investigated again in the 1960s by the Ministry of Works.
Waokauri / Pūkaki portage The Waokauri / Pūkaki portage is the southernmost of the three portages connecting the Manukau Harbour to the Tāmaki River. During the Musket Wars in the early 19th century, Te Pai o Kaiwaka was used by
Hongi Hika and
Ngāpuhi taua in order to reach the
Waikato Tainui tribes of the central Waikato area. The canal continued to be mooted as an idea, and in 1924 the Waiuku Canal League is formed as a body to promote the concept. ==Waikato==