| Lake Kawaupaka | |
| Location: | Auckland Region, North Island |
| Coords: | -36.8944°N 174.4583°W |
| Pushpin Map: | New Zealand Auckland |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Lake Kawaupaka |
| Basin Countries: | New Zealand |
| Length: | 0.5km (00.3miles) |
| Width: | 0.25km (00.16miles) |
Lake Kawaupaka, also known as Lake Kawaupaku, is a small lake near Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in the Auckland Region of New Zealand.[1] The lake is on private land,[2] and is one of the few dune lakes in the region to be surrounded by native forest.[3] [4] It is located south-west of Lake Wainamu.
The lake was originally a river valley. 7,200 years ago at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum, when sea-levels began to rise, Te Henga / Bethells Beach began to form, as sand dunes migrated into the river valley. When sand dunes formed a barrier, Lake Kawaupaka began to form as a freshwater lake.[5]
The lake is within the traditional rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, and was known as Roto Kawaupaku.[6] The name refers to the Little black cormorant (kawaupaka), who were seen as the guardians of the lake.[7] The lake was part of the greater Te Henga / Bethells Beach and Waitākere River area of settlements, with the localities of Tūrapa located on the north shore and, Pākōwhatu to the east of the lake.[6] Pākōwhatu was a pā that used Ngāti Awa fortification techniques, learnt from the Ngāti Awa people as they travelled south past the Waitākere Ranges area towards Kawhia Harbour and Taranaki.[6]
The lake remained mostly undisturbed during European colonisation. During the 19th century, flax was harvested from the lake, and pioneer John Neale Bethell planted an orchard on the lakeside.[8] The lake was purchase din 1979 by the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust, after which it was administered by the Auckland Regional Council as a nature reserve.[5]