Shag Point / Matakaea

Shag Point / Matakaea[1] is a headland and township in East Otago, New Zealand.

For Shag Point in South Georgia, see Bay of Isles.

Panorama overlooking the area, on the north side of the mouth of the Shag River

It is located close to State Highway 1 nine kilometres to the northeast of Palmerston, at the southern end of a long open bay known as Katiki Beach. The point itself is a hilly promontory between Katiki Beach and the mouth of the Shag River. Both the river and point take their English name from the shag, a species of cormorant.

A historic Māori site, the Matakaea/Shag Point Occupation Site, is located close to the headland. It is listed as a Category II site by Heritage New Zealand.[2]

Geologically, the area is an exemplar of the Katiki Formation, and the site of the discovery of the plesiosaur Kaiwhekea katiki.

References
  1. "Ngāi Tahu Claims Settlement Act 1998 No 97 (As at 28 October 2021), Public Act Schedule 96 Alteration of place names – New Zealand Legislation".
  2. "Matakaea/Shag Point Occupation Site". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand.


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