Oyster Bay

Returning to Hakahaka, the next bay is Oyster Bay where the settlers put up breastwork for their launches when the road was constructed over from Whatamonga. In this bay stands the cottage in which John Guard the younger spent his married life, and his nephew Walter Guard also. Walter died last year and, his son and daughter living in Blenheim, Mrs Guard has been in a quandary and it is possible the bay is to be sold.

In this bay was the large camp of the Electricity Department when the power lines were being erected.

On past Coles Bay and then Tom Canes Bay, named after a very early whaler. Documents in the Archives record that for the right to start a whaling station in this bay the price paid to the Maoris was a barrel of gunpowder and a barrel of tobacco. A descendant of Tom Cane came from Wanganui to attend the unveiling of the Ironside Cairn at Ngakuta.