Those travelling in the hills south-west of Waiuku towards the coast come across a small lake nestled in the folds created over the centuries by sand dunes. There, just as the travellers turn a corner, quite near to the road and minding its own business, is the lake at Whiri Whiri, Lake Otamatearoa, sometimes referred to as “Muir’s Lake”.
I say “minding its own business” because the lake stands alone, having the distinction of no formed – nor visible – inlet or outlet flow, scientifically called an endorheic lake. It just sort of sits on its own.
The lake is shown on an early allotment map for West Waiuku, Whiri Whiri Road crosses diagonally – G. Pulman Lithographers, Auckland, undated*
But long-ago local famers found its secret. They theorised there was underground seepage from the lake which probably emerged to feed a small stream in a gully some distance below the lake on the other side of Whiri Whiri Road. Around the turn of last century landowner Gorham Bird drew from this creek, installing a ram pump which for 100 years supplied stock and domestic requirements. The flow could be depended upon, even in the driest summers and the water was pure, lacking salinity of many endorheic lakes and in fact, according to Waikato Regional Council’s surveys, “…the highest quality shallow lake in Waikato District”.
The creek never failed…always water for both stock and domestic requirements from earliest days on the Bird farm at Whiri Whiri
The creek from the lake continues to provide dependable water supplies for several local farms.
Technically, Otamatearoa is a “shallow dune lake” with a depth of up to 5 meters. It covers some 8 hectares and land immediately surrounding the lake has been farmed as part of the original Muir property. The lake and lakebed have recently not only been scientifically tested for water quality, but there have also been surveys of plant and bird life, both in and around the lake. From time-to-time authorities have intervened to stop the spread of invasive weeds in the water: in 2009 chemicals were used against Hornwort which had at that time spread over one-third the lake. Despite this, scientists found more than 30 native plants, some of them threatened species.
Trout Fishing
Wildlife includes fish. It took a keen angler, local Constable, E. (Ted) Buckley, to spearhead a revival. In the early 1950s he saw photos that had been taken back in 1915 of fishermen showing off their catches, sizeable trout taken from the lake. Buckley successfully sought a return to the sport when, in the early 1950s, Lake Otamatearoa was populated with fish by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society. In October 1955, on the first day of the season, nearly 100 rods were out around the lake. Trout were plentiful with good catches…a local limit bag of six fish was set and on opening day Buckley, himself, took a limit bag. Three of the fish weighed two and a half pounds (1kg) each. The Press Association reported, “…this is the society’s first experiment at stocking lakes in the ditrict and everyone believes it has been a big success”. Because there’s no inlet, Otamatearoa was often replenished with fingerlings.
Noisy Visitors
Although I have said the lake has, over the years, quietly “minded its own business”, it has had many intrusive visitors in the past… a far cry from anglers enjoying their peaceful pastime. There was a time when the crack of military rifle-fire and machine-gun action disturbed the quiet as troops “in combat” surrounded the lake. And then, in later decades, hundreds of voices could be heard cheering on favoured nags during horse racing that the lake hosted for more than 25 years.
War Games
In the late 1920s the lake and surrounds provided the backdrop for realistic military manoeuvres by 329 officers and men of the Auckland Mounted Rifles. The “invading troops”, the “enemy”, came from across the Waikato River, determined to overcome opposing forces to “capture” vital military stores in Waiuku township.
Soldiers, on the defence, patrolling the sand dunes
– Weekly News, Auckland Libraries
But the defence was ready in the remote sandhills and battle took place hour upon hour, the rat-tat-tat of gunfire, the sound of the sniper’s rifle, while those adjudged killed or injured moved aside. The New Zealand Herald likened it to previous real battles… “Miles of open sand dune and tussock and scrub above the sea. Squadrons of horses and exactly the same type of New Zealand mounted riflemen, although younger, who made history from the sands of Sinai to the Hills of Moab”.
Facing the enemy in the hills above the lake at Whiri Whiri – Weekly News, Auckland Libraries
Air Surveillance
Additional defences were provided by day when a Moth plane was deployed, “lent” from the Auckland Aero Club. It circled above the action at 1, 000 feet (300 meters), the pilot, Captain J. Seabrook A.F.C, observing the enemy’s progress in the dunes below. He scribbled the intelligence on notepaper and dropped weighted messages to Company HQ.
ZK-AAE, similar to the Moth bi-plane that sussed out the enemy at Whiri Whiri – Weekly News, Auckland Libraries
The aerial surveillance meant that the officer in charge of defences could mobilise his troops to best effect, strategically deploying well-camouflaged machine guns on the high ground. The Franklin Times, 17th April 1929, described the action: “The staccato bursts of machine gun fire, the crackle of hundreds of rifles, khaki-clad figures creeping and rushing from cover on feature to feature, and above the roar of a reconnoitring aeroplane, characterised the Battle of Maioro”.
The exercise ended just as word was received that the left flank guard had outwitted, and taken, a portion of the enemy by fire. Notwithstanding, it was announced that it was inconclusive as to who had won the conflict… and it was time for lunch alongside the lake. The “enemy soldiers” resumed their places in the ranks, all friendly again!
The whole exercise was led by a local, Colonel Max Aldred (1880-1970) a farmer and a decorated veteran of World War One. He was one of Waiuku’s best known citizens. He arrived in New Zealand at the age of 22, farmed at Whiriwhiri, served with distinction during the First World War, become a land agent and later a Mortgage Relief Commissioner post-war, and then commanded the Auckland Home Guard Military District during the Second World War. Colonel Max Aldred, MBE, died in 1970 aged 90 years.
Horse Races
The Waiuku Picnic Racing Club held its first annual meeting at Lake Otamatearoa, Whiri Whiri, on 15 March 1952. The racetrack was somewhat unique… it surrounded the oval-shaped lake on Jack Muir’s farm, the actual course created by local horse racing enthusiasts, all volunteers, often using borrowed bulldozers and diggers. The track followed the shores of the lake, just far enough out from its edge to avoid the marshy swamp and reeds. Each lap was, by my reckoning, about 1.2 kms (three quarters of a mile) and it was well-grassed turf, providing good footing for the horses. Hills on the south side sloping up from the lake provided a natural “grandstand” for many hundreds of people, each with a good view of the finish line. It took several years before refinements were completed, like railings and buildings… temporary shelter and tents seen in the photograph below were later replaced by permanent buildings erected using donated materials.
Waiuku Picnic Racing Club’s first meeting 1952 – Digital New Zealand
At the time of that inaugural meeting in March 1952 the list of officials read like a list of local luminaries. The Club’s Patron was W. Claude Motion, the President Jack G. Muir, Vice Presidents E. D. Muir and W. C. S. Hosking while the Executive was Messrs I. Brown, W. Gee, R. Limmer, F. Burns, J. Grimmond, C. Gaskell, L. Sullings and Dr R. Whiteside. On the day, W. Craig was the Starter, F. Walters was Clerk of the Scales, J. Dawbin was Clerk of the Course, and T. Paterson the Judge. Joint Secretaries were F. N. Hemphill and W. McNamara.
Souvenir programme for the first meeting
That first meeting comprised seven-races: the first event, the Whiri Whiri Steeplechase was timed for 11am and was run over two and a half miles (4 kms) with first prize of £10 cash plus a trophy of similar value. Number 1, “Court Lad” won, paying £1.16.0. The big race of the day was the Muir Memorial Handicap. 15 horses were entered, run over one-and-a-quarter miles (2 kms) for first prize of £20 cash, plus the Challenge Cup worth £50. Perhaps appropriately, E. D. Muir’s 4-year-old mare “Lady Evrus” took the title and paid £2.14.0.
Edwin Muir proud owner of “Lady Evrus” – Digital New Zealand
The presentation took place on the tray of a flat-top truck – and the trophy case was an old wooden crate addressed to “Brown’s milk bar, Waiuku”.
There was no shortage of entries on that first day. 22 horses were listed in Race 5, the Motion Handicap, so the event had to be run in 2 divisions, “Royal Tradition” triumphant in the first, while “Lady Evrus” had another run, and another first, in the second division. Each paid £2.
For those hard-up punters looking for a last chance at riches, there was Race 7, the Farewell Handicap at 3pm, run over 9 furlongs (2kms) with 11 starters. “Over the Hills” duly obliged, paying £2.5.0. That last race, timed for 3pm, was a touch early compared with most race meetings… but perhaps farmers’ chores, and the need to get home in time for milking, was taken into account when the programme was decided.
Betting was an Equalisator. Punters could not pick the horses they wanted… they purchased a betting ticket (if my memory serves me, they cost 5 shillings each) which had a letter on it. Officials then drew the letters out of a hat and matched them with horse numbers. On-course announcements over the loudspeakers before the race advised punters of the horses they had drawn. This system was to comply with the totalisator rules at the time.
For the first meeting admission to the “course” was 2 shillings and sixpence for adults and 1 shilling or school children, motor cars were 2 shillings. The official souvenir programme cost 1 shilling. Volunteers attended to carpark duties, provided hot water for picnickers, oversaw the catering, the first aid and many other tasks to make Race Day at Whiri Whiri a success.
Volunteers from Waiuku women’s organisations oversaw the catering – Brian Muir Collection, Auckland Libraries
An estimated 5,000 people attended and all proceeds from opening day went to the Sports Queen entrant in the Waiuku War Memorial Queen Carnival. Locals were invited to join as Members of the Waiuku Picnic Racing Club – the annual subscription was £1 1 shilling and W. McNamara, one of the joint Club secretaries, went about the district encouraging membership.
Gala Day : Vice-Regal Patronage
But probably the biggest attendance at the lake was for a Gala Day on March 19th 1966, held in aid of the Waiuku Museum Society. The Governor-General, Sir Bernard Fergusson, and his wife Dame Laura, attended, cheered by the huge crowd when they arrived. 4 First World War veterans from Waiuku and vicinity were presented to the Sir Bernard. One of them, Colonel Max Aldred, had led the war games around the lake in the late 1920s.
Left to right: Colonel Max Aldred , Percy Oakden, Garnet Williams, Athol Ohlson – Auckland Libraries.
Likewise, below, President of the Museum Society, Brian Muir was greeted by Lady Laura, together with Kapa Haka leader Nganeko Minhinnick and her daughter, Moeatoa.
Greetings beside the lake – Auckland Libraries
There was a parade of floats depicting the district’s history while entertainment was provided on this special day by a brass band and by local rangitahi.
Ngati Te Ata kapa haka group – Digital New Zealand
The Waiuku Picnic Racing Club’s annual meeting grew in popularity as the photo below shows… the car park on the slopes above the lake is apparently filled to overflowing and the number of horse floats in the foreground attests the large fields entered in the day’s events.
1975 – The horses are about to enter the straight for home. Whiri Whiri Road, left – Auckland Libraries
Whiri Whiri Road never saw the likes of the traffic generated on Race Days. In those early days the road was, for the most part, two wheel tracks in the black iron-sand – there was no metal or gravel surface and certainly no seal. It was, in places, just wide enough for one vehicle and the floats taking horses to the lake would have had to take extra care on the narrow winding, up-hill, down-dale road. I think it’s true to say the road has not seen such volumes of traffic, either before or since, the race days at the lake.
Races were held annually at the lake for more than 25 years, with a silver jubilee meeting held on 7 February 1976. The course remained in occasional use during the 1980s, but it had been abandoned by the time the Waiuku Racing Club amalgamated with the Counties Racing Club in August 1991: it was the end of local race meetings.
The lake today, Whiri Whiri Road top left
In recent years the stock yards between the lake and the road have been renewed and a large house has been built on the knoll overlooking the lake. The lake has been ring-fenced to help prevent pollution from cattle.
These days cattle quietly graze at the end of what was the back-straight of the racecourse
Lake Otamatearoa has these days returned to “minding its own business”: tranquil, the only infrequent visitors are anglers trying their luck for rainbow or brown trout.
* While the map is undated, it is from a time when no more than a handful of streets are shown as comprising Waiuku township, and it was likely drawn to coincide with land subdivision and sales at Maioro in May 1865. In addition to drawing maps of the Province etc, George Pulman (1825-1871), printer and photographer, designed and oversaw lithographed banknotes for the new Bank of Auckland in 1864 and he introduced first “printing in colours” to Auckland in 1865.
RCC August 2025
Sources
New Zealand Herald
Auckland Weekly News
Auckland Star
Stuff
Press, Christchurch (NZPA item)
Franklin Times
South Auckland Courier
Digital New Zealand
Auckland Public Libraries
“Ripples” – Waikato Regional Council
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
“Waikato Region Shallow Lakes Management Plan: Volume 2”, Waikato District Council
“Physical Geography”, Thomas Pickles, Ardent Medias
Cash Book, Bird farm, Bird Road, Whiri Whiri: Gorham Bird
