Wikipedia:WikiProject New Zealand/West Coast task force/Geography

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These areas were the subject of West Coast Wikipedian at Large projects in 2020 and 2022. Please feel free to check and update article status, and improve if required.

Punakaiki

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The Paparoa area from the Punakaiki River to Fox River and Paparoa National Park. We need accurate Wikidata items with one image, and ideally Commons categories containing a good selection of photos—if not full articles—for the following places. Feel free to add them to the table when completed. When there's a good Wikidata item (with correct location and an image, ideally a Commons category), cross it off.

Inland Pack Track, Dolomite Point, Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, Punakaiki Village (different from rocks), Pororari River, Pororari River Track, Pororari Lagoon, Bullock Creek, Truman Track, Coghlans Lookout, Cave Creek, Cave Creek Track, Cave Creek Resurgence, Te Miko/Perpendicular Point, Irimahuwhero Lookout, Meybille Bay, Pahautane, Seal Island, Kaipakati Point, Woodpecker Bay, Historic Fox River Bridge, Fox River, Ballroom Overhang, Fox River Cave (now closed, but a historic walk).

We also need photographs for articles of:

Perpendicular Point, Cave Creek Disaster, the Paparoa Range, and Four Mile River

If some of these items are worth an actual Wikipedia article, add them to the list below.

Punakaiki area
Wikipedia Quality Wikidata Commons category Done Notes
Paparoa National Park C Q1075151 Paparoa National Park High importance, but low quality. Needs major work. Nothing on plants.
Punakaiki Start Q572391 Punakaiki Separated Pancake Rocks from village. Needs expansion.
Pancake Rocks and Blowholes Start Q21027273 Pancake Rocks Needs expansion.
Punakaiki River Stub Q7259882 Punakaiki River Archives photo
Pororari River C Q7230289 Pororari River Stub expanded
Q49343160 Pororari River Walk New category; listed in the Gazetteer
Q112704541 Pororari River Track Part of the Paparoa Track
Truman Track B Q112658127 Truman Track Wikidata sorted, photos uploaded, article created
Barrytown Flats C Q110817658 Own category? More on mining, Geoff Park book
Barrytown C Q4864953 Barrytown, New Zealand More on history
Paparoa Track B Q60761090 Paparoa Track aka Paparoa Track Great Walk
Pike29 Memorial Track Start Q112727368 Pike29 Memorial Track New article
Croesus Track Start Q112978272 Croesus Track Article created but needs expansion
West Coast Wilderness Trail C Q24189576 West Coast Wilderness Trail
Cave Creek / Kotihotiho Start Q55359716 Cave Creek / Kotihotiho Merged duplicates. Could be expanded with more on the disaster and track?
Pororari River C Q7230289 Pororari River Wikipedia article is looking quite mint
Ballroom Overhang Stub Q32124933 Ballroom Overhang have approached several Flickr users for other photos
Bullock Creek Start Q32124933 Bullock Creek When did farming cease?
Fox River (Buller) Start Q8565214 Fox River (Buller) Needs expansion
Dolomite Point Re-direct Q32182153 Just a re-direct page on WP
Inland Pack Track Start Q112683200 Inland Pack Track
Waitakere / Nile River C Q7960455 Waitakere River Has an operating rainforest railway running alongside for some of its length.
Metro Cave / Te Ananui Cave Start Q15253265 Metro Te Ananui Caves

Lake Brunner

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Essentially the journey from Stillwater–Moana–Inchbonnie–Kumara, focussing on interesting natural features and historic places. We need to improve and sort the Commons Category:Moana, New Zealand and Category:Lake Brunner, and make a Gallery page for the lake at least, featuring Stewart Nimmo's Lake Brunner photo shoot.

We need check if there are accurate Wikidata items with one image, and ideally Commons categories containing a good selection of photos, for the following places. If/when there's a good Wikidata item (with correct location and an image, and ideally a Commons category), cross it off.

Stillwater, Candlelight Creek, Kokiri, Kaimata (photo of the powerhouse), Arnold River, Aratika, Kotuku, Deep Creek, Bell Hill (locality), Bell Hill (hill), Ruru, Te Kinga, Mt Te Kinga, Lady Lake, Kangaroo Lake, Rotomanu, Lake Poerua, Poerua, Inchbonnie, Bruce Creek, Ōrangipuku River, Mitchells, Eel Creek, Eastern Hohonu River. And for the lake itself: Molloy Bay, Howitt Point, Pah Point, Iveagh Bay, Cashmere Bay, Uncle Bay, Knoll Point, Carew Bay

If some of these items are worth an actual Wikipedia article, add them to the list below. There are also the historical sites of the Kotuku Timber Drying Kiln, and the Ruru Drying Kiln.

Lake Brunner area
Wikipedia Quality Wikidata Commons category Done Notes
Aratika, New Zealand Q65429438
Arnold River (New Zealand) Start Q696022 Arnold_River_(New_Zealand)
Arnold Power Station Start Q4795208 Arnold_River_(New_Zealand) Expanded significantly
Eastern Hohonu River Stub Q5330194 Merged wikidata categories but needs an image
Inchbonnie Start Q6014388 Inchbonnie Expanded, but needs images
Kangaroo Lake (New Zealand) Start Q85173343 Making this now Have made this, but no images that I could see
Kokiri Start Q55640269 Kokiri
Kotuku Model Bungalow Start Q79302848 Kotuku Model Bungalow
Kumara, New Zealand C Q574530 Kumara, New Zealand Expanded
Lake Brunner B Q4283 Lake Brunner This is our feature article; more on Māori and European history and settlement, lake geology, fishery history and tourism
Moana, New Zealand Start Q1941351 Moana, New Zealand
Lake Poerua Start Q7337624 Lake Poerua
Mount Te Kinga C Q31662730 Mount Te Kinga Scenic Reserve Wikimedia category is for the scenic reserve but could be changed? Moved.
Stillwater Start Q1650995 Stillwater, West Coast Haven't assessed this one - think it's start but could be close to an upgrade? Reckon it's still a start, but a good start!
Ōrangipuku River Start Q7099829 Lacking a photo
Taramakau River C Q706997 Taramakau River Has been greatly expanded

One important source will be Hidden Valley: the history of Rotomanu, Inchbonnie, Poerua, Grey County, Westland (1986) by Adshead and Stewart. Lake Brunner Memories might be useful, but few libraries have a copy. Other useful refs are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

North Westland

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Please check if there are accurate Wikidata items with one image, and ideally Commons categories containing a good selection of photos, for the following places. If/when there's a good Wikidata item (with correct location and an image, and ideally a Commons category), cross it off.

Radiant Ridge, Stormy Ridge, Fenian Range†, ?Scarlett Range, Bald Knob†, Ōpārara River, Kōhaihai River, Kōhaihai Bluff, Nīkau Walk, Mossy Burn, Karamea River, Granite Creek, Kongahu, Kongahu Swamp, Ōtūmahana Estuary, Arapito, Umere,Market Cross, Ōpārara (the settlement), Karamea Cemetery, Karamea Aerodrome, Holy Trinity Church, Karamea Library, Big Rimu Tree Track, Fenian Caves Track, Fenian Track, Oparara Valley Track, Oparara Arch Track, Honeycomb Hill Caves Track, Honeycomb Hill Arch, Mirror Tarn Track, Moria Gate Arch, Moria Gate Track.

Note: † means that the Wikidata item has been checked and is up to date but a photo is missing. If some of these items are worth an actual Wikipedia article, add them to the list below.

North Westland area
Wikipedia Quality Wikidata Commons category Done Notes
Arapito Stub Q4784227 Need photos
Fenian Track Stub Q113296953 Fenian Track Needs history added
Granity Start Q2076873 Granity
Heaphy Track C Q1592359 Heaphy Track
Honeycomb Hill Cave Stub Q5893773 Honeycomb Hill Cave
Kahurangi National Park Start Q1429722 Kahurangi National Park See Salisbury, Ray (2020) Tableland
Karamea C Q1728935 Karamea Completely revised order, headings etc, content expansion in progress. Needs better photos.
Karamea Aerodrome Stub Q12693276
Karamea Centennial Museum Stub Q98668777 Karamea Centennial Museum
Karamea River Start Q1718641 Karamea River
Kōhaihai River Stub Q6425886 Kōhaihai River
Moria Gate Arch Q32282360 Moria Gate Arch Covered in Ōpārara Basin Arches article
Nelson cave spider Start Q2376193 Spelungula cavernicola A cave was just closed to conserve it: ref ref ref
Old Ghost Road C Q57385916 Old Ghost Road
Ōpārara Basin C Q2887504 Ōpārara Basin Add tracks here; improve refs; concession now held by visitor centre
Ōpārara Basin Arches Start Q7095596 Ōpārara Arch 1 Need Crazy Paving, Box Canyon caves
Ōpārara River Start Q7095595 Ōpārara River
Ōtūmahana Estuary Start Q113212631 Ōtūmahana Estuary Needs more photos
Wangapeka Track Start Q49170485 Wangapeka Track

Useful sources:

  • Jennifer Mary Curtis (1973), The special settlements of Jackson's Bay and Karamea, UC Research Repository, doi:10.26021/10719, hdl:10092/101666, Wikidata Q112806317
  • Heale, D.M.; Hathaway, S.; Howling, G.; Quince, A. (18 November 1993), A report on the ecology of the Karamea / Otumahana Estuary, West Coast New Zealand (PDF), Department of Conservation, Wikidata Q113215306
  • Mary Tunnicliff (1961), Karamea Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, Golden Jubilee 1911-1961, Karamea: Karamea Co-operative Dairy Company Limited, OCLC 153579873, Wikidata Q113191624

South Westland

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Please check if there are accurate Wikidata items with one image, and ideally Commons categories containing a good selection of photos, for the following places. † means that the Wikidata item has been checked and is up to date but a photo is missing. If/when there's a good Wikidata item (with correct location and an image, and ideally a Commons category), cross it off.

North to South: Havelock Creek, Karangarua, Papakeri Creek, Bruce Bay (the bay), The Avenue, Douglas Range, Brunner Memorial, Windbag Creek, Kiwi/Kea/Kaka Creeks?, Monro Beach, Monro Beach Walk, Waita Beach, Tawharekiri Lakes, Crikey Creek, Hapuka Estuary, Mussel Point, Mt McLean, Sponge Swamp, Neils Beach, Arawhata Pioneers' Cemetery, Smoothwater River Track, Lake Ellery Track, Martyr Saddle, Mosquito Hill, Greenstone Creek, Harris Creek Falls, Thomas Bluff, Mt Macfarlane, Douglas Bluff, Clarke Bluff, Burke River, Mt Brewster Track, Davis Flat, Cameron Creek, Cameron Flat, Blue Pools Track

If some of these items have (or are worth) an actual Wikipedia article, move them to the list below.

South Westland area
Wikipedia Quality Wikidata Commons category Done Notes
Ōhinetamatea River Stub Q15263527 Category:Ōhinetamatea River Needs an image Done
Copland Track B Q112966873 Category:Copland Track Wasn't sure whether to include info on valley itself, hot pools etc or just track. Great selection of photos
Karangarua River Stub Q6368463 Category:Karangarua River
Jacobs River, New Zealand Stub Q6119770 Category:Jacobs_River,_New_Zealand The settlement, not the river
Jacobs River (New Zealand) Stub Q6119762 Category:Makawhio River / Jacobs River The river, not the settlement - could maybe use Makawhio or dual name to disambiguate? No images
Bruce Bay / Mahitahi B Q4977122 Category:Bruce Bay (West Coast Region, New Zealand) Separate the bight and the settlement. Marae photos needed.
Mahitahi River Stub Q6734127 Category:Mahitahi River
Lake Paringa Stub Q6477291 Category:Lake Paringa
Haast to Paringa Cattle Track Stub Q113531321 Category:Haast-Paringa Cattle Track Find South Westland Cattle Track, The (1991?) A. R. Dawber.
Lake Moeraki Stub Q15241329 Category:Lake Moeraki
Knights Point Start Q6422170 Category:Knights Point Knights Point has had an article since 2005; refimprove needed
Ship Creek (New Zealand) Start Q91860291 Category:Ship Creek (West Coast Region) New article created, but expansion planned for dune walk, swamp forest walk
Waita River Stub Q7960431
Haast River Start Q917275 Category:Haast River
Haast C Q1026492 Haast, New Zealand Incorporating Haast Junction, Haast Beach, and Haast Township (Wikidata items for all)
Haast Aerodrome Stub Q507683
Open Bay Islands Stub Q7095956
Okuru Q7082772 Currently redirects to Haast
Okuru River Stub Q7082771
Hannahs Clearing Q97016743
Waiatoto River Stub Q7959912 Category:Waiatoto River
Arawhata River Stub Q4784539 Needs an image
Jackson Bay / Okahu Start Q49380570 Category:Jackson Bay / Okahu
Smoothwater River Stub Q2295561
Jackson River (New Zealand) Stub Q6117351
Lake Ellery Start Q85173359 Lake Ellery Article in German; Wikidata has been merged; Schwede has organised a photo; article created.
Martyr River Stub Q15249262
Cascade River (New Zealand) Stub Q5048162
Roaring Billy Falls Start Q105973591 Category:Roaring Billy Falls Article in German
Pleasant Flat Start Q49604350 Category:Pleasant Flat
Thunder Creek Falls Stub Q104804011 Category:Thunder Creek Falls Article in German
Gates of Haast Start Q105973592 Category:Gates of Haast Article in German
Fantail Falls Start Q32196369 Category:Fantail Falls Article in German; now in English also
Haast Pass / Tioripatea Start Q498788 Haast Pass
Makarora Start Q1366447 Category:Makarora
Te Wahipounamu C Q575398 Category:Te Wahipounamu Essentially one editor wrote this in 2014: needs work!
Westland Tai Poutini National Park Stub Q1053661 Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Mount Aspiring National Park C Q1070905 Commons needs sorting out

References to use:

  • Dennis, Andy. (2007). South West New Zealand World Heritage Highway Guide. Westport: Poutini Press. This is a pretty good overview of the area from Fox Glacier to Makarora, and I'm using it as our basic To Do framework above.
  • Wardle, Peter. (1979). Plants and Landscape in Westland National Park. Wellington: National Parks Authority.
  • Carey, Peta. (May 2022). "Not If But When." North & South.
  • Pascoe, John. (1966). The Haast is in South Westland. AH & AW Reed.

Whites Aviation

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Whites Aviation was an aerial photography company who took pictures all over New Zealand in the 1940s–70s. The National Library of New Zealand purchased the copyright along with the collection (described here), and have released the aerial photographs under an open CC-BY licence. A wonderful project would be to add all the photos of the West Coast to Commons, with good metadata and categories; they could be used on so many pages. There are only a few uploaded at the moment: Category:Whites_Aviation

Icons

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The information about many West Coastparks and tracks is outdated, and some have no good collection of usable photos

Tourism West Coast has flagged six iconic bits of the Coast's "untamed natural wilderness", and these would be good areas to focus on. They are:

Parks, reserves and tracks

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Parks, Reserves, Tracks
Wikipedia Quality Wikidata Commons category Done Notes
Kahurangi National Park Start Q1429722 Kahurangi National Park See Salisbury, Ray (2020) Tableland
Westland Tai Poutini National Park Stub Q1053661 Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Paparoa National Park Start Q1075151 Paparoa National Park
Arthur's Pass National Park Start Q712300 Arthur's Pass National Park
Heaphy Track Start Q1592359 Heaphy Track Schwede has done a bit of work on the Heaphy Track as of late (Feb 2022); it'll be closed for months to come.
Paparoa Track Stub Q60761090 Fully opens 1 Oct
Old Ghost Road C Q57385916 Old Ghost Road
West Coast Wilderness Trail C Q24189576 West Coast Wilderness Trail
Kawatiri Coastal Trail Opens 2021, but still notable
Lake Mahinapua Stub Q6476742 Lake Mahinapua
Oparara Basin Arches Stub Q7095596 Oparara Arch 1 Need Crazy Paving, Box Canyon caves
Metro Cave / Te Ananui Cave Q15253265 Metro Te Ananui Caves
Fenian walks
Wangapeka Track Q49170485 Wangapeka Track
Charming Creek Walkway Tramway exists
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These templates appear at the bottom of Wikipedia articles about West Coast localities. Red links indicate no such article exists. The goal of the project would be to create at least a basic article for every locality, and populate it with at least one photo. Note that these are populated places so don't forget about the Buller River, Grey River, Inangahua River, and Hokitika River. There are about a thousand more rivers and streams as well. A good start would be expanding the templates so they match the level of detail of Buller's.

Marae

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A couple of the West Coast marae are large enough and notable enough to deserve their own articles.

German and Māori Wikipedias

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There are a number of places that have an article on both the German and Māori WPs where the English version does not exist. Here's the list as of 23 September 2021: