Menu
Cannibal Gorge Hut,Maruia.
Expand/collapse
About this image
Description Why is it called Cannibal Gorge?
Glenn Johnston... Because of the battle/skirmish between two Maori tribes. From memory a band of Ngai Tahu caught up with some Ngati Tumatakokiri here in the Maruia. The Ngai Tahu were victorious and a cannibal feast ensued. Stories of bleached bones being found here lasted well in to the 1900's. It is well documented from oral histories used in C19th land claims in the Maori Land Court.Map[1] ContributorMalcolm White.
Glenn Johnston... Because of the battle/skirmish between two Maori tribes. From memory a band of Ngai Tahu caught up with some Ngati Tumatakokiri here in the Maruia. The Ngai Tahu were victorious and a cannibal feast ensued. Stories of bleached bones being found here lasted well in to the 1900's. It is well documented from oral histories used in C19th land claims in the Maori Land Court.Map[1] ContributorMalcolm White.
Shown in this image
Location (city or town)MaruiaCannibal GorgeLandmark (Place)Cannibal Gorge
Category Information
Category Taghistory
From Facebook
Date Created29th July 2020CommentsArthur Bass Is that John and Bill Watts ?
Robert Ray Why is it called Cannibal Gorge?
Glenn Johnston Because of the battle/skirmish between two Maori tribes. From memory a band of Ngai Tahu caught up with some Ngati Tumatakokiri here in the Maruia. The Ngai Tahu were victorious and a cannibal feast ensued. Stories of bleached bones being found here lasted well in to the 1900's. It is well documented from oral histories used in C19th land claims in the Maori Land Court.
Allan Archer Shame a Tribe didn't catch up with Guy Salmon and his mates late last century when he formed an exclusive little society in the same locality .....the little society is certainly having a feast at the West Coast's expense in this century !
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect Robert Ray http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/.../tei-Gov12_02Rail-t1-body...
Manage
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
NZETC.VICTORIA.AC.NZ
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
Naireen Bass First hut on the St James walkway from the Lewis end carpark. A nice walk in.
Arthur Bass Wasn't there for starters. Was a windblown tree area. Mike Henderson and I stayed there one night. A father and son were ahead of us. No firewood. I got the DOC chainsaw and got a load in. Next morning they cooked up kippers on the potbelly stove and left. Stink !
Crow Bay
Why don't they change the name to something more politicly correct like Kai Time hut?
Reply7h
Hector Tainui
Idiot
Jessie Pinkman
Crow Bay
Sharon Murphy
Crow Bay so very typical
Michael Mclauglin
Crow Bay good name
Beanz Sandrey
Some true history,how long until this is rewritten to suit an agenda
Pete Coast
Beanz Sandrey I was thinking the same
Hector Tainui
Whats that supposed to mean.write whats on your mind mate
Chris Moa
Hector Tainui nah, we don't live under tribal control, you can't demand what people do, he said what he's saying and you know what it means, mate.
Lindsay Thompson
Hector Tainui . It means no one is innocent of 'crimes' perpetuated in our collective past.
Reply1h
David Meech
Beanz Sandrey at least Maori have some idea of their history - unlike colonials it would seem.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/.../the-cannibals-of-goughs-cave.html
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
NHM.AC.UK
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
David Meech
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../the-gruesome-history.../
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
David Meech
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../europes-hypocritical.../
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
Hector Tainui
Answer me this bones.whose agenda are you talking about.
Kevin Oregan
That is the history as also related to me. A skirmish between two Maori tribes. Can't remember that hut though.
Kevin Gwatkin
It’s sad that NZs history is being rewritten with a sanitised version
David Meech
Kevin Gwatkin https://www.wildfoottravel.com/.../northwest-passage...
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
WILDFOOTTRAVEL.COM
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
Lindsay Thompson
I bet that doesn't want to be known these days.
Neville Watson
Yum
Michael Mclauglin
They ate a lot of their captured enemies and the children. Wasn't that long ago really. Don't hear anything about this side of their history. When they invaded the Chatham Islands they ate 90 percent inhabitants .Genocide
Robert Ray Why is it called Cannibal Gorge?
Glenn Johnston Because of the battle/skirmish between two Maori tribes. From memory a band of Ngai Tahu caught up with some Ngati Tumatakokiri here in the Maruia. The Ngai Tahu were victorious and a cannibal feast ensued. Stories of bleached bones being found here lasted well in to the 1900's. It is well documented from oral histories used in C19th land claims in the Maori Land Court.
Allan Archer Shame a Tribe didn't catch up with Guy Salmon and his mates late last century when he formed an exclusive little society in the same locality .....the little society is certainly having a feast at the West Coast's expense in this century !
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect Robert Ray http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/.../tei-Gov12_02Rail-t1-body...
Manage
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
NZETC.VICTORIA.AC.NZ
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
Cannibal Gorge and Its Stories | NZETC
Naireen Bass First hut on the St James walkway from the Lewis end carpark. A nice walk in.
Arthur Bass Wasn't there for starters. Was a windblown tree area. Mike Henderson and I stayed there one night. A father and son were ahead of us. No firewood. I got the DOC chainsaw and got a load in. Next morning they cooked up kippers on the potbelly stove and left. Stink !
Crow Bay
Why don't they change the name to something more politicly correct like Kai Time hut?
Reply7h
Hector Tainui
Idiot
Jessie Pinkman
Crow Bay
Sharon Murphy
Crow Bay so very typical
Michael Mclauglin
Crow Bay good name
Beanz Sandrey
Some true history,how long until this is rewritten to suit an agenda
Pete Coast
Beanz Sandrey I was thinking the same
Hector Tainui
Whats that supposed to mean.write whats on your mind mate
Chris Moa
Hector Tainui nah, we don't live under tribal control, you can't demand what people do, he said what he's saying and you know what it means, mate.
Lindsay Thompson
Hector Tainui . It means no one is innocent of 'crimes' perpetuated in our collective past.
Reply1h
David Meech
Beanz Sandrey at least Maori have some idea of their history - unlike colonials it would seem.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/.../the-cannibals-of-goughs-cave.html
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
NHM.AC.UK
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
The cannibals of Gough's Cave
David Meech
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../the-gruesome-history.../
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
The Gruesome History of Eating Corpses as Medicine
David Meech
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/.../europes-hypocritical.../
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
Europe’s Hypocritical History of Cannibalism
Hector Tainui
Answer me this bones.whose agenda are you talking about.
Kevin Oregan
That is the history as also related to me. A skirmish between two Maori tribes. Can't remember that hut though.
Kevin Gwatkin
It’s sad that NZs history is being rewritten with a sanitised version
David Meech
Kevin Gwatkin https://www.wildfoottravel.com/.../northwest-passage...
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
WILDFOOTTRAVEL.COM
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
Northwest Passage British cannibals who became national heroes - Wildfoot Travel Journal
Lindsay Thompson
I bet that doesn't want to be known these days.
Neville Watson
Yum
Michael Mclauglin
They ate a lot of their captured enemies and the children. Wasn't that long ago really. Don't hear anything about this side of their history. When they invaded the Chatham Islands they ate 90 percent inhabitants .Genocide
Editing is temporarily disabled
Cancel EditClick on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
West Coast New Zealand History (27th Feb 2023). Cannibal Gorge Hut,Maruia.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 14th Apr 2026 06:54, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28194




