Everything about Portage Road totally explained
Portage Road is an otherwise unremarkable road in the
Auckland,
New Zealand suburb of
Otahuhu. What makes this road special is described in a plaque that's embedded in a concrete plinth at the intersection of Portage Road and Great South Road.
This road marked the northernmost boundary of the Borough of Otahuhu until it was absorbed into the new City of Tamaki, then later on Auckland City.
Plaque Inscription
This Plaque Marks a Historic Site: In the middle of the 14th century, the Maori First Fleet invaded
Aotearoa and sailing through
Hauraki Gulf, visited Tamaki in search of a new home. The first canoe to reach the isthmus was the
Tainui which stayed at Otahuhu while the Maori Chief Taikehu carried out reconnaissance from a nearby hill top, probably Mount Richmond. The waters of the
Manukau Harbour were seen and the canoe dragged overland and went on her way, calling at
Mokau and finally to her last resting place at
Kawhia. In later years, canoes were frequently taken across the portage at Otahuhu, and this practice was followed with boats and small vessels even in
Pakeha times. Later a canal was planned to link the
Tasman and
Pacific Oceans, and land was reserved to that end. Today the old track is known as Portage Road. Half a mile in length, it must surely be the shortest road between two seas anywhere in the world.
This plaque, donated by W.A. Stevenson. Esq., and Mrs. M.J. Sparrow was unveiled on March 20th 1959 by J.D. Murdoch. Esq., Mayor of Otahuhu
Further Information
Get more info on 'Portage Road'.
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