Rāpaki


Rāpaki, officially Te Rāpaki-o-Te Rakiwhakaputa and previously known as Rapaki, is a small settlement within the Whakaraupo Harbour basin.
Rapaki is one of four Banks Peninsula rūnanga based around marae. The Rapaki Marae, also known as Te Wheke Marae, is a meeting ground of Ngāi Tahu and its Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke branch. It includes Wheke wharenui.
Rapaki is overlooked by the peak Te Poho o Tamatea. According to one legend, the Ngāi Tahu chief Te Rakiwhakaputa named the place by laying his waist mat down to claim it. The full name of Rapaki is Te Rāpaki-o-Te Rakiwhakaputa, meaning the waist mat of Te Rakiwhakaputa. On 8 July 2020, the New Zealand Geographic Board assigned the full name as the official name of the locality.