In pre-European times Waikākāriki was the site of a significant Māori settlement called Te Oranga.
The lake was called Waikākāriki (wai means water and kākāriki has various meanings including green, a type of green lizard or a green parakeet or parrot).
Sources
- Walk Christchurch : 60 short walks that explore your city; edited by Mark Pickering, compiled by Kjesten Nilsson, Karen Theobald and Lesley Symington. Leisure Unit, Christchurch City Council, Christchurch: N.Z., 1998
