The old name for Robinsons Bay (after Charles Barrington Robinson) derives its meaning from an old fishing practice.
The bay with its mudflats was one of the best bays in the harbour for catching flounders (pātiki). Once the fish were caught they were threaded with a bone needle to keep them together for transporting back to the pā.
The bone needle used is called an “au” hence the name Ngā ka kai au.
Sources
- Gordon Ogilvie, Banks Peninsula – Cradle of Canterbury, Government Printer, 2007
- Louis Vangioni, Māori Names & Traditions – Points of Interest Around Akaroa Harbour, The Akaroa Mail, 1970
