Author: Ian

P N Johnson, Botany Division, DSIR, Dunedin March 1987

Quarantine Island has a fenced 1.4 ha of low Halls totara – broadleaved forest in excellent condition, plus other native scrub and coastal communities. …

Quarantine and Goat Islands owe their origin to former spurs drowned with the sinking of valleys now occupied by Otago Harbour. Both were used for quarantine purposes in early days of European settlement, and are Crown Land, formerly managed by Health Department. Goat Island has now largely reverted to native low forest and scrub. … Quarantine Island is leased to the St Martins Island community, who maintain a house and other buildings on the eastern headland, and graze sheep over most of the island, except in a fenced-off portion of bush, facing south at the western end. Historical remnants persist in the form of one of the old quarantine buildings, a small graveyard, chimney and flagpole remnants and old wrecks at the boat landing. The island is c. 17 ha in area, and reaches 58 m at its summit. There are two pylons on the crest, carrying electricity from Port Chalmers to Portobello.

Broadleaved – totara forest. This comprises most of the c. 1.4 ha fenced-off area to which sheep do not have access. The canopy, mostly about 4m tall, comprises Halls totara, broadleaf, ngaio, kohuhu, lancewood, peppertree and divaricating shrubs. These last two become more common in the understorey, especially Melicope simplex and Coprosma areolata. Traces remain of shrubs which would previously have been more common: Corokia cotoneaster and Helichrysum aggregatum, while the abundance of mahoe saplings 1m tall indicates that this species will become more common in future. Ground cover is dense, despite the dry stony soil, with Asplenium lyallii, shield fern, Carex forsteri and Libertia ixioides. Creepers are also abundant below and upon the shrubs, especially Scandia, Calystegia, climbing rata, Parsonsia and Clematis paniculata. Condition of this forest is very much better than adjacent grazed forest, or any similar forest remnants on mainland sites on Otago Peninsula.

Cabbage tree – coprosma – totara forest. An eastern portion of the fenced-off bush, probably more open at the time stock were excluded, has cabbage trees above a mixture of windswept totara and Coprosma propinqua scrub. Former grassy openings illustrate the process of regrowth of scrub and forest.  The grasses browntop and cocksfoot of the former pasture are being invaded by bidibid, Coprosma propinqua shrubs, and the tall palatable grass Hierochloe redolens.

Flax, some of it possibly planted, is establishing vigorously from seedlings, even among long rank grass, and there are healthy saplings 1m tall of Olearia avicenniaefolia, lancewood, kohuhu and Hebe elliptica.

Coprosma – mixed scrub. Shady faces of the southernmost headland have dense 2-3m scrub of Coprosma propinqua, Halls totara, Melicope, kowhai, ngaio and creepers (mostly Muehlenbeckia australis).

Flax – Hebe scrub. Above the sea shore, in a zone below forest or in patches below pasture, flax grows densely with Hebe elliptica shrubs, and scattered ngaio trees. Patches of bracken are present on some small spurs.

Pasture. On the island crest the main components are browntop, crested dogstail and white clover. Patches of rushes (Juncus gregiflorus, J distegus) occur on moist gentle slopes. Dry crests encourage infestations of barley grass and Scotch thistle (especially common at the south-east end). On sunny faces, Rytidosperma unarede and sweet vernal are common grasses and there are a few patches of silver tussock on upper parts of northern faces. Western faces hold thin, dry, erodible soils between rock outcrops and ledges. Grazing here is heavy, so that the native coastal tussock Poa astonii is reduced to a stubble.

Carex sedgeland. A few small seeps have tussocks of Carex appressa and in one place the tall blue coastal sedge Carex trifida which is of very local occurrence on Otago coasts.

Coastal rocky banks. Some of these are draped with native ice plant, though trampling and grazing prevent this moving up-slope onto ground accessible to sheep. Poa astonii tussock and Linum monogynum are characteristic of rocky outcrops, with other native herbs such as Wahlenbergia gracilis. Easter orchid (Earina autumnalis) surives as a clump atop one northern coastal detached boulder. Crumbling loess banks near the houses have become covered with garde escapes – wallflower, shrubby stonecrop, marguerite daisies and periwinkle.

Coastal herb field in wave-splashed zones. There are small areas of turfy coastal herbs such as Toula dioica, Puccinellia stricta, Crassula moschata, native celery and glsswort. Beach heads become colonised by Atriplex hastata growing among drift and flotsam.

Island at NW corner. Being inaccessible to sheep, this little island illustrates the density and diversity of native plants which would otherwise occupy all opens sites close to the coast. Above a fringe of coastal herb-field is a terrace sward of knobby club-rush, holy-grass, Elymus, Dichelachne and Linum. The rocky sides have dense low Hebe elliptica, tussocks of Poa astonii, mats of native ice plant and the coastal fern Asplenium obtusatum. On the crest, compact shrubs of Coprosma propinqua shelter an infestation of ivy and periwinkle.

Planted trees. As well as the usual macrocarpas typically planted for shelter, there are groups of pines (Scots pine round the graveyard, bishop pine and radiata on the SW grassy promontory). There is a line of Arizona cypress here too. Along the north side are a few trees of Lawsons Cupress, at least two trees of brush wattle on one spur, and a few kowhais which have survived despite the crude netting fences which one protected them. One red beech has been planted near the summit. None of these tree species appear to be spreading naturally.

Point of access; Double Hill Road – 500m on right beyond gate below Forest HQ. 45 minutes return. Moderate.

The Seacliff Mental Hospital was competed in 1884 and at the time was the largest public building in New Zealand. Water for the complex was originally supplied from a spring behind Warrington. However, as the hospital developed, this supply became inadequate. An alternative supply was sought and it was decided that a dam and pipeline at Double Hill would be suitable.

As a consequence, this dam and an associated pipeline were built around 1912 for the purposes of supplying water to the Seacliff Hospital. The dam is some 6m high and approximately 1.5m thick at the base. It is estimated that 80 cu m of concrete were necessary to build the structure. In addition, the construction required 17,000m of 150mm pipe to link the dam with the storage tanks at Seacliff. The flow was gravity fed, the dam being at a greater elevation than the hospital.

All equipment to build the dam and pipeline was packed into the upper reaches of the Whaitiripaka Stream on horseback or horse-drawn sled. The pipeline was laid along the stream-bed to Evansdale Glen and thence over Porteous Hill to Omimi and Seacliff.

Problems were associated with the scheme however, primarily due to silting up of the dam and a subsequent loss of capacity. The tragic fire at the Seacliff Hospital in 1942, which resulted in the loss of 37 lives prompted greater concern over the reliability of the Double Hill water supply. Corrosion of the pipeline and unstable ground over Porteous Hill compounded the problems.

An auxiliary water supply was installed at Evansdale in 1944 to augment the supply during the summer period. However the condition of the pipeline continued to deteriorate. Major repairs to the pipeline were considered too expensive and in 1952 it was replaced by a new line from Cherry Farm. Thus ended the useful life of the Double Hill dam and water supply.

Since 1981 the N.Z. Forest Service staff have improved access to the damaged sections  of Whaitiripaka Stream where remnants of the water supply scheme remain. The walk to the dam is quite short and well worth a visit in light of its historical background.

Mapoutahi Pa occupies a small predipitous headland with a commanding view of the entraces to Blueskin Bay and Purakanui Inlet. Remains of the home terraces and defensive earthworks can still be seen.

The date that the pa was built and the details of its earliest inhabitants have been lost from Maori myth. However its role in the 18th century Kai Tahu quarrels and feudings is well known.

Te Wera, the Chief of the Kai Tahu, had a pa at Huriawa. After an unsuccessful siege of Huriawa by his feuding uncle Taoka, from Pukekura (or Taiaroa Head), an ally of Te Wera’s, Te Pakihaukea, shifted to Purakanui and relocated Mapoutahi Pa. Taoka then turned his attention to this new settlement.

Tradition says that when Taoka arrived in mid-winter to besiege Mapoutahi Pa he found the pa well defended and impenetrable. However, on one particularly wild night Te Pakihaukea’s guards put dummies in their places so that they could retreat to the warmth of a fire. Taoka discovered the ploy and the pa was stormed and most of the inhabitants massacred.

Afterwards it appears that the pa fell into disuse. Today many of the terraces, made to accommodate houses and storage structures, can still be seen although the edges have become less distinct through time. In addition to the imposing natural defences of high cliffs, Mapoutahi Pa was also protected from attack by ditches and banks surmounted by rows of stout palisades. Parts of the ditches are now filled in and the palisading has long since disappeared.

The name for the peninsula on which the pa was built of “Mata-awhe-awhe”, meaning “Dead gathered in a heap”. This may result from the incident recounted above.

Several archaeological excavations have been carried out on the headland.

The excavations brought to light evidence of double-row palisade defences in the form of postholes. Scattered oven-stones and charcoal as well as shell and bone midden material were found around the post-holes.

Analysis of the midden remains showed that in common with most other pre-European coastal sites, the inhabitants of Mapoutahi Pa fished mainy for barracouta ad red cod.

Birds found nesting in colonies nearby, such as shags, albatross and penguins were caught frequently.

Local shellfish were gathered from rocks, beaches and estuaries to either side of the pa. Mussels and cockles were the most common shells found in middens. Seals, as well as the Polynesian dog and rat were also used for food.

The artifacts found were mostly of types concerned with fishing and domestic activities such as sewing, food preparation and so on. Fish hooks, a number of bone needles and fragments and flake tools were included in these finds. A large number of flake tools were made of obsidian or volcanic glass, which had to be obtained from the North Island.

The results of the excavation are generally consistent with an occupation of the site in the 18th century. Traditions indicate that the site may have been occupied earlier than this, however.