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Motutapu - locally known as Rocky Island.
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DescriptionShows the down-stream tip of an island within the Grey. Wonder what its name is? Or if there's anything on it except for a monument to Brunner?
Here's the up-stream tip..
Admins: Motutapu (locally known as Rocky Island)
Map[1] ContributorRick Giles
Here's the up-stream tip..
Admins: Motutapu (locally known as Rocky Island)
Map[1] ContributorRick Giles
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)DobsonLandmark (Place)Motutapu
From Facebook
Date Created16th March 2020CommentsRob Elwood My Mum grew up in Taylorville, She was at school during the Murchison Earthquake. She always called it "Rocky Island". There was (and maybe still is) a big swimming hole on the the upstream side. I suppose it has a grander and more PC name today.
Joyce Elwood-Smith Rob Elwood I have a photo of our brother & myself sitting on the memorial the day it was unveiled!
Debbie Ansett Rocky Island
Ngaire Castles Motutapu
Wayne Leckie Ngaire Castles you live in Australia
Kylie Smiley Best The rock...that's we called it growing up. Spent many summers dsys and nights out there swimming
Maxine Morgan Rocky Island when I was a child. 1950s.
Leah Whitehead We always called it Rocky Island, but I believe in the past it has had other names, Mototapu Island first then for a while Emerald Island (maybe for it's green top?) but definitely Rocky Island to all the Brunner kids that swam there.
Helen Burns Rocky Island- lotsa memories
Rose Henham Rocky island.good swimming there
Dave Steers Rocky Island when I lived in Dobson.
Rick Giles Terrific information, thanks all
David Mulloy i have seen the river in flood covering that monument
Jill Jones Rocky Island. Great memories growing up there.
Mahana Nelly Motutapu is its true name called that since before the arrival of the first pakeha
Jeannie Preddy We lived in Dobson in 60s and I always called it Motutapu.
Tania Pennicott I always called it taylorville
Di Chiles Yup Rocky Island me my sister and little brother use to swim there when we were kids and build huts in da bush down there.
Carina Gould Yip"rocky"gd times had there,
Brian Steele Rocky island. As kids ,when the river was low in the summertime, many of us used to swim across the river to the island from the Dobson side. Just down stream near where the Dobson mine bins used to be is a place we used to call the sands. Just around a bluff upstream was a deep hole. Where kids used to jump into the river. They were good memories.
John White Rocky Island to us pakeha kids but Motutapu to the Maori. Supposedly a burial site for Maori Chiefs & Maori’s wouldn’t put a foot on it. Interestedly Thomas Brunner camped there after taking coal samples just upstream near the old Brunner Mine site.
John White Forgot to add. Also the BEST swimming hole ever in the lagoon adjecent
Sandra Sands We were swimming there when the Wallsend pub burnt
Kathy Crooks A fantastic place when we were kids rocky island neat place they still swim their
Fiona Oaten It has a plaque on it. Refers to Brunner.
Margaret Mulloy Rocky island great times swimming there. Some of the boys swam to wallsend from there when hotel caught fire
Florence Gunn John Menzies was on Taylorviille side enjoying day with his wife and baby Julie, the afternoon Wallsend pub caught fire. Think 55 years ago
Helen Chappell I recall swimming across the river and meeting the the Taylorville friends !! There is no way I would ever let my grand children do that todayVernon Pattinson Rocky Island Dobson
Kath Merv Moreton When did the pipeline go across?
Helen Green Yes Vernon, Rocky Island it is. Swum over to it many times. Mothers told us not to do. Sometimes we would end up way past the island 'cause the current was so strong!
Mary Fenemor
Will always remember this, as Rocky Island. Steve Fenemor Irene Fenemor Bill Stephenson Graeme Peters
Edited
Rick Giles
Looks like one of mine from a while ago.
Here's a recent picture. Rocky Island has power, water, phone lines, and 2 fire hydrants!?
May be an image of grass
Jan Douglas
motutapu - sacred island? History of?
Dennis Wick
We used to swim over to there from just about this same spot, opposite the fan for the Dobson mine.
Josephine Morehu
My Dad told me there was a taniwha there - and the Taylorville bridge.
Brian Steele
Grey River at Dobson
Rob Lunn
Back in my younger days I used to keep the Thomas Brunner monument painted up you can’t see it from the Dobson side now a man might have to go for a walk with his chainsaw
Pauline Schafer
I used to swim over with my kids from the swimming hole, we’d float quite a way down and walk up on the gravel, play for a while and then swim back.
Joshua Kilkelly
Motutapu wow... Didn't no that... Swam there heaps in the 90s was the hang out spot in the ville
Sue Vaukins
Had cousins in Taylorville and often swam at Rocky Island. There was a big tree with a rope attached. Use to swing out into the water. Awesome times
Anna Jensen
The locals call it Taylorville Rock or just The Rock
Troy Fensom
Is there any reason its called motutapu? That loosly translates to bad luck/or calma island..?
Joyce Elwood-Smith Rob Elwood I have a photo of our brother & myself sitting on the memorial the day it was unveiled!
Debbie Ansett Rocky Island
Ngaire Castles Motutapu
Wayne Leckie Ngaire Castles you live in Australia
Kylie Smiley Best The rock...that's we called it growing up. Spent many summers dsys and nights out there swimming
Maxine Morgan Rocky Island when I was a child. 1950s.
Leah Whitehead We always called it Rocky Island, but I believe in the past it has had other names, Mototapu Island first then for a while Emerald Island (maybe for it's green top?) but definitely Rocky Island to all the Brunner kids that swam there.
Helen Burns Rocky Island- lotsa memories
Rose Henham Rocky island.good swimming there
Dave Steers Rocky Island when I lived in Dobson.
Rick Giles Terrific information, thanks all
David Mulloy i have seen the river in flood covering that monument
Jill Jones Rocky Island. Great memories growing up there.
Mahana Nelly Motutapu is its true name called that since before the arrival of the first pakeha
Jeannie Preddy We lived in Dobson in 60s and I always called it Motutapu.
Tania Pennicott I always called it taylorville
Di Chiles Yup Rocky Island me my sister and little brother use to swim there when we were kids and build huts in da bush down there.
Carina Gould Yip"rocky"gd times had there,
Brian Steele Rocky island. As kids ,when the river was low in the summertime, many of us used to swim across the river to the island from the Dobson side. Just down stream near where the Dobson mine bins used to be is a place we used to call the sands. Just around a bluff upstream was a deep hole. Where kids used to jump into the river. They were good memories.
John White Rocky Island to us pakeha kids but Motutapu to the Maori. Supposedly a burial site for Maori Chiefs & Maori’s wouldn’t put a foot on it. Interestedly Thomas Brunner camped there after taking coal samples just upstream near the old Brunner Mine site.
John White Forgot to add. Also the BEST swimming hole ever in the lagoon adjecent
Sandra Sands We were swimming there when the Wallsend pub burnt
Kathy Crooks A fantastic place when we were kids rocky island neat place they still swim their
Fiona Oaten It has a plaque on it. Refers to Brunner.
Margaret Mulloy Rocky island great times swimming there. Some of the boys swam to wallsend from there when hotel caught fire
Florence Gunn John Menzies was on Taylorviille side enjoying day with his wife and baby Julie, the afternoon Wallsend pub caught fire. Think 55 years ago
Helen Chappell I recall swimming across the river and meeting the the Taylorville friends !! There is no way I would ever let my grand children do that todayVernon Pattinson Rocky Island Dobson
Kath Merv Moreton When did the pipeline go across?
Helen Green Yes Vernon, Rocky Island it is. Swum over to it many times. Mothers told us not to do. Sometimes we would end up way past the island 'cause the current was so strong!
Mary Fenemor
Will always remember this, as Rocky Island. Steve Fenemor Irene Fenemor Bill Stephenson Graeme Peters
Edited
Rick Giles
Looks like one of mine from a while ago.
Here's a recent picture. Rocky Island has power, water, phone lines, and 2 fire hydrants!?
May be an image of grass
Jan Douglas
motutapu - sacred island? History of?
Dennis Wick
We used to swim over to there from just about this same spot, opposite the fan for the Dobson mine.
Josephine Morehu
My Dad told me there was a taniwha there - and the Taylorville bridge.
Brian Steele
Grey River at Dobson
Rob Lunn
Back in my younger days I used to keep the Thomas Brunner monument painted up you can’t see it from the Dobson side now a man might have to go for a walk with his chainsaw
Pauline Schafer
I used to swim over with my kids from the swimming hole, we’d float quite a way down and walk up on the gravel, play for a while and then swim back.
Joshua Kilkelly
Motutapu wow... Didn't no that... Swam there heaps in the 90s was the hang out spot in the ville
Sue Vaukins
Had cousins in Taylorville and often swam at Rocky Island. There was a big tree with a rope attached. Use to swing out into the water. Awesome times
Anna Jensen
The locals call it Taylorville Rock or just The Rock
Troy Fensom
Is there any reason its called motutapu? That loosly translates to bad luck/or calma island..?
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West Coast New Zealand History (18th Sep 2023). Motutapu - locally known as Rocky Island.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 22nd Apr 2026 11:26, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/27426