Daily Photo – Te Waewae Bay

The other day I was involved in a discussion about Southland towns. Gore was mentioned, as was Owaka, Curio Bay, Hedgehope, Mataura and Riverton. The community of Riverton entered the conversation, as did Gemstone Beach, Tuatapere, Nightcaps, Winton, Dipton and Colac Bay. However, there was one place we simply couldn’t remember.

As children, it had been described as the place where, “blink and you’ll miss it.” We knew it had a bowling club, a pub and a few residents, and that was about it. We knew it was something of a ghost town, a shell of what it once was, and that the name began with an “O”. We also knew it was somewhere near Te Waewae Bay. After several minutes of going back and forth, and round and round around in circles, we gave in and referred to Google Maps.

Its name was Orepuki.