In this map you can see the waimataitai lagoon before it was drained and turned into a park. The stream was piped underground and can be seen at the golf course. Miscellaneous plans - borough of timaru, south canterbury, 1911 - t.N. Brodrick, chief surveyor canterbury. ndhadeliver.Natlib.Govt.Nz/ie31423732
Have you wandered through Ashbury Park, noticed the old trees and winding stream, and wondered—what used to be here? Before sports fields and supermarkets, this was Waimātaitai, a vast coastal lagoon alive with birdsong, whitebait, and the shimmering shapes of tuna (freshwater eels). Beneath your feet lies a forgotten wetland, rich in Māori history and ecological wonder, where eels once thrived and journeys began that stretched all the way to the heart of the Pacific Ocean. This is the story of a lost lagoon, an ancient traveller, and the community working to bring both back into the light.
Before Ashbury Park became a sports field, it was known as Waimātaitai. The area included a 50-acre lagoon which was a significant mahika kai site for Māori. This wetland, once fed by a stream and bordered what is now Caroline Bay, supported an ecosystem of tuna (freshwater eels), inaka (whitebait), huge variety of birds and native plants. For generations, Māori gathered food here and lived in balance with the environment. Tuna, considered taonga (treasures), held deep cultural meaning, symbolising ancestral ties and the rhythms of the natural world.
Tuna (eels) take on a extraordinary and mysterious journey. After living for up to 100 years in rivers and wetlands, they transform and migrate thousands of kilometres to the deep ocean trenches near Tonga, Samoa or Fiji to spawn. Their larvae drift on ocean currents for months, returning as tiny glass eels and eventually growing into adults and many return to the very streams, rivers, wetlands and lakes that their mothers left behind. But in Timaru, their ancestral home vanished. The lagoon was drained in the 1930s and the stream was diverted underground with a 1.3 kilometre stormwater drain. Over time the what was left of the stream in land was damaged by pollution and stipped of vegetation.
Today, that stream re-emerges behind the Timaru Top 10 Holiday Park, where a huge restoration effort has been underwary for a few deacdes now to revive the lost ecosystem. Volunteers have removed truckloads of rubbish, planted over 1,000 native trees and installed traps to reduce pests such as rats and mice. Plants like harakeke (flax), kōwhai, matipo and lemonwood now thrive, attracting native birds including pīwakawaka (fantails), riroriro (grey warblers) and tītipounamu (bellbirds). The creek is becoming a more welcoming place for tuna once again.
At the nearby CPlay playground, children can climb the tuna mound and imagine swimming across the Pacific like their eel ancestors.
Freshwater eels are really interesting creatures. I have heard them described as living fossils due to their ancient evolutionary history. Aotearoa is home to three native species: the endemic longfin eel (Anguilla dieffenbachii), shortfin eel (Anguilla australis), and the Australian longfin eel (Anguilla reinhardtii). Longfin eels can grow to over two metres and weigh up to 25 kilograms. Tuna are born genderless, with their development shaped by environmental conditions. Before migration, they undergo dramatic physical changes, such as flattened heads and enlarged eyes, and rely entirely on stored energy to navigate thousands of kilometres through the ocean. Their spawning remains a mystery, as no one has ever seen it in the wild.
In South Canterbury, community-led initiatives such as the Opuha Dam elver bypass help young eels migrate upstream to complete their life cycle. These projects are vital for ensuring tuna can continue to survive in increasingly fragmented habitats. However, many barriers still remain, particularly for adult eels attempting to return to the sea. Every effort counts. Stream restoration, clean water, healthy plant life and community education all play a role in rebuilding these ecological corridors.
You can help too. Avoid feeding eels bread, vegetables or food with bones—small pieces of meat are best. Do not throw stones or rubbish into streams. Wash your car on the grass to prevent soapy water from entering drains, and ensure only rain goes into the stormwater system. Support local clean-up days, plant native species and talk to others about the incredible story of tuna. By caring for these creatures, we reconnect with nature, with our local heritage, and with a deeper understanding of how all life is linked.
The Waimātaitai Lagoon was once so prominent it became known locally as “Woollcombe’s Lagoon,” after early settler and landowner Herbert Belfield Woollcombe, who lived nearby. Historic records show his family’s homestead and gardens overlooked the wetland before it was drained. The land that once supported tuna and tangata was reshaped by development, but Woollcombe’s name—and the story of this place—still ripple through memory. Today, the revival of this habitat is part of a wider journey of healing, where local knowledge, Māori values and community effort come together for the future of our waterways.
Learn more about the eels here: https://www.wuhootimaru.co.nz/coastal-walkway-and-wetlands/ashbury-park-coastal-history