Rohe Map

The southern boundary of Te Aupouri was established at the battle of Te Oneroa at Ngapae (Waipapakauri Ramp). Poroa, chief of Te Rarawa, drew a line in the sand from the sand hills to the sea and called for the fighting to end. He declared that Te Rarawa would remain on the south side and Te Aupouri the north.

Waata Tepania described "the boundaries of the lands of Te Aupouri" as "starting on the beach about Ngapae, the boundary fixed by Poroa, right up the west coast, round the cape, down the east coast to Rangaunu Bay, then in a southerly direction to about Waipapakauri, then out to the beach at Ngapae" (Ninety Mile Beach Investigation of Title, 12th of November 1957).

Within the wider rohe of Te Aupouri there are areas of shared interests and close relationships with Ngati Kuri in the north and Ngai Takoto in the south. Unlike the formal boundary with Te Rarawa established by Poroa, there are no formal boundaries between Ngati Kuri, Te Aupouri & Ngai Takoto. The three iwi fought side-by-side at Te Oneroa and are all very closely related.

Maori Marsden acknowledged the close relationships between the three iwi and described their combined rohe as running "From Te Wharau (at North Cape) west to Te Reinga; then south to Puketutu (a hill, a mile north of present Kaitaia Golf Course) on Te Oneroa-a-Tohe (Ninety Mile Beach) then east through Tangonge (below Pukepoto) to Kaitaia along the Rangitane Stream, then north along its western banks to Ngakura-iti, and from thence to the western head of the Rangaunu Harbour, and continuing along the east coast to Houhora, Parengarenga and thence to Te Wharau, the original point of departure" ('Te Mana o Te Hiku o Te Ika', 1986:2).

Te Hapua is the home of Ngati Kuri, on the north side of the Parengarenga Harbour. Ngai Takoto are concentrated south of Motutengi on the shores of the Rangaunu Harbour. The home of Te Aupouri is Te Kao, in the heart of the Parengarenga Block.