January 22, 2018
Omiha name change hits the rocks
Land Information Minister Eugenie Sage has squelched an effort to remove the Maori name from a Waiheke locality.
Resident Nobilangelo Ceramalus asked the Geographic Board to change the name of Omiha to Rocky Bay, as the area is also known.
The board received 224 submissions urging the retention of the original Maori name, and just 10 in support of the application.
It gave the minister the final word, and she stuck with Omiha, adding a macron to the O.
A submission from Piritahi Marae says the name refers to Miha, who arrived at Rangihoua inlet on Te Arawa waka in the 1300s and settled in the area.
The minister also agreed that Castle Rock southeast of Coromandel township has the alternate name Motutere.
The Clarence River, which meets the ocean northeast of Kaikoura, will also be known as Waiau Toa, while the Waiau River southwest of Kaikoura will be known as Waiau Uwha.
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