Our Family has proudly owned Man O' War for nearly 30 years. Intent on protecting the sheer beauty of this magnificent slice of Waiheke Island we purchased four adjacent farms in 1980 forming a 4500 acre block of stunning and rugged land from which today's Man O' War wines come. The spectacular terrain of coastal hillsides with high cliffs and pristine beaches forms a ruggedly beautiful coastline that we are passionate about protecting.
Located at the eastern end of the island it is likely that Man O’ War was one of the first places in New Zealand to be discovered by Polynesian explorers over 700 years ago. It was in 1769, some 500 years on, that Captain James Cook noticed the land when he anchored his vessel in an uncharted bay. Cook noted that the kauri trees he saw would make exceptional masts for the Royal Navy, who went on to designate the bay as a wood and water station, their ships calling in for timber to form masts, and water supplies. Hence the bay became known as Man O’ War Bay.
The abundant and dense stands of tall kauri and other natives initiated the descent of European
settlers upon Waiheke Island during the 1800s and the trees were felled for ship repairs and for housing timber used both on the island and also in nearby Auckland. The cleared land was later used for farming livestock.
Our land's military history continues to more recent times - Man O’ War is the site of the Stony Batter Coastal Defence batter, a network of tunnels and gun emplacements built during WW2 to protect Auckland from naval invasion. Not completed until after the war, guns were only ever fired from Stony Batter in testing.
Now under our Family’s stewardship for close to 30 years we are dedicated to ensuring ensuring that Man O’ War retains its innate beauty and sense of history for generations to come. With a passion to see our land's native glory restored we have planted over 150,000 native trees and fenced off 1000 acres to allow the regeneration of native bush, wetlands and coastal corridors.
|