Today, Wednesday, Juno led me walkies from TRM upriver to check on any progress on the new swingbridge across the Tongariro River at the end of Koura Street.  I cannot name it yet as the competition to decide on the new name is continuing.  We are waiting in anticipation for a new Maori name to emerge, but so far have not heard of any yet.

Look at the sky!  The forecast was rain?

Anyway, we stopped at the lookout over the river at the end of “Te Koko” Reserve, where two kids posed for us, but we were really taking a photo of the pool at the head of the Island Pool.

We had studied the river for a minute or two with concentrated, enhanced polaroid vision, and were surprised to find not a single trout waiting.  It was a beautiful sunny winter day with the sun still on the water, so spotting them should have been easy.  Then, along the edge, floated a raft full of kids cruising on their holiday trip.  Then the riverbed just erupted.  True!  About ten or twelve trout flashed around in a mad panic.  So there you are.  They are hiding there, perfectly camouflaged.  The kids are sure to notice them if you wait long enough for a raft to arrive.  They were not the biggest we have ever seen, but nice, fresh-run pan size.  According to SWMBO, these maiden fish are usually the tastiest.

Now back to Te Koko Reserve.  For many years, this was called Cherry Tree Reserve before the name was Maorified.  One might imagine that Te Koko is English for Cherry Tree, but no.  Our consultant on Maori names, AI, advised:

AI Overview

Te Koko Reserve (formerly known as Cherry Tree Reserve) is a local recreation reserve located in Tūrangi off Taupahi Road. It provides direct pedestrian access and linkage from the road frontage to the walking, biking, and fishing path of the Tongariro River Trail.

A map of the reserve’s location in relation to the wider Tongariro River track network and local facilities is available through the Taupō District Council Tūrangi Reserves Management Plan.

Te Koko Reserve directly adjoins the adjacent Taupahi Reserve, which features a carpark, public toilets, and dog exercise areas, making it a common starting point for river activities. For a broader perspective of the surrounding area and nearby fishing pools, you can view the Department of Conservation Lower Tongariro River Map.

However, typically, DOC’s map did not show it.

But that did not explain what Koko means, so the search continued…  We referred it to our other main research consultant/advisor, Google.

Their first reference to Te Koko was encouraging – below:

Cloudy Bay New Zealand

https://www.cloudybay.com › en-nz › our-wines › te-k…

Te Koko is a sophisticated, unique expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Its striking flavours reveal the surprising flavours, etc.

But I am not sure if that was what was intended in the Maorification process, so we tried again.  They explained:

In Māori, Te Koko generally translates to “the scoop” or refers to a cove, bay, or inlet. [1, 2, 3]

Specifically, it is short for Te Koko-o-Kupe, which translates to “the scoop of Kupe.” In Māori tradition, this refers to the great Polynesian navigator Kupe, whose waka famously carved out or formed the wide, sweeping bay in Marlborough (now known to European settlers as Cloudy Bay). [1]

The name is also internationally famous as the flagship oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc produced by Cloudy Bay. [1, 2]

SWMBO was even more certain that Tuwharetoa did not intend to advertise Cloudy Bay wine on our river reserve, so we searched further…

In desperation, we consulted the Maori dictionary for clarity.  (in the word meaning, not the wine)  Otherwise, we know you will have questions…

koko

1. Koko (noun) bay, cove, inlet.

Synonyms: korutanga, kowhanenga, kokoru, kokorutanga, kopanga, koro, tāwhangawhanga, awhenga, whanga

2. Koko (noun) corner, recess.

Synonyms: hiki

3 Koko (noun) tūī, parson bird, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae – a songbird that imitates other birds’ calls and has glossy-black plumage and two white tufts at the throat.

See also tūī

Synonyms: tūī, kōkōtaua, kōkōtea, kōkōuri, kōpūrehe, tākaha, kouwha, tute

4. kōkō (loan) (noun) cocoa.

5. koko (verb) (-a,-ngia,-tia) to scoop up, shovel.

Synonyms: kārehu, hakohako, hāwara, hako, hāpara, kāheru, kōutuutu, tīkoko, kaku, kapu, awhe

6. Koko (verb) (-a,-ngia,-tia) to pull up.

Synonyms: tākiri, kōwhiti, whakatū, huti, hutihuti

7. Koko (noun) shovel, scoop, spoon.

Synonyms: hako, hakohako, ope, ao

8. Koko (noun) wind – often with a suffix added to specify what type of wind, e.g. kōkōhau.

9. Koko (verb) to make a rumbling noise, make a gurgling noise.

Synonyms: māorooro, wheoro, ngunguru, oro, wawā, haruru, hanguru, horu, rarā

10. Koko (verb) (-ia,-tia) to dig (with a kō), dig up, plant.

Show example

Synonyms: tipu, rumaki, tiri, tiritiri, whakatō, whakatōtō, whakatopatopa, marotiritiri, tanu, pou, rākau, tou

12. Koko(verb) to catch kehe fish – by driving them with a pole along channels in the rocks into a net held by a second person.

13. Koko (verb) to chant (to keep someone alert).

14. piwari Koko (noun) (Sport) corner flag.

At that stage we surrendered. 

They can call it what they like. 

To us ignorant old folk, it is still the Cherry Tree Reserve.

We are pleased we have cleared that up.

As for the new swingbridge progress report, dial in tomorrow…