Ōtaki Gorge me nga Forks
Huarahi o te Āpiti o Ōtaki, Ōtaki
Ko Ōtaki Forks te tomokanga hauāuru matua ki Tararua Forest Park. Ko ngā kautawa e rua nei, a Waiotauru me Waitatapia, ka tūtaki ki te awa o Ōtaki ki konei.
Ko Mount Hector e tū whakarae ana i te Gorge. He ara Māori tēnei i whakamahia nuitia ahu atu ki Wairarapa hoki mai anō, ā, he ara pai hoki mō ngā tauā. Ko Morgan Carkeek te Pākehā tuatahi ki te whakapiki i a Mount Hector i 1865. Ko ia hoki te tangata tuatahi nāna a Tararua i hōrapa.
I 1878 i hokona e te Karauna tēnei wāhi. Nō muri noa mai ka whakawhitingia ki te Kamupene Rerewhenua o Pōneke me Manawatū, nā rātou nei i hoko atu i 1889. I tīmata te mira ngahere, ā, i 1893 i oti tētahi ara ki Ōtaki Forks. I 1906 i heuheungia te whenua e te hunga noho, ā, i te tekau tau i muri mai i hangaia ngā piriti tārewa a Waihoanga me Taungata, i tūwhera mai tētehi Poutāpeta, i whakaotingia te rori o te Gorge, i whakaurungia te waea Gorge, ā, i whakaritengia hoki tētehi ara atu ki Greytown.
He mea hanga ngā taiapa kōhatu puta noa i te Ōtaki Gorge e ngā kaimahi rawakore i waenga i ngā tau 1930 me 1936. I taua wā, i tīmatangia te keri kōura i ngā puke e te Seventh Day Adventists, i tūwhera mai hoki tētehi whare pani.
I ēnei rā e wātea ana te Ōtaki Gorge ki te hunga manuhiri e hiahia ana ki te tākaro i ngā tini hākinakina ā-waho puta noa i te Ngahere o Tararua.
