Cosy Nook is a scenic rocky cove that shelters several fishing boats and cribs. It is a real throwback to a time when coastal life was simple, and seaside homes were small weather-beaten cribs and bachs!
You can access the cove by taking Paihia Wakapatu Road from the Southern Scenic Highway between Colac Bay / Ōraka and Orepuki. After 2 km, turn right onto Mullet Road and drive to the end. Wander around the rocks and settle in for a picnic if the weather permits. Also, keep an eye out for Bob Blackwell’s Polyfilla Villa! He was the full-time resident of the cove but his crib still stands next to the road.
The cove is also an important cultural and historical site for local Māori. In the 1700s, a fortified pā was on Matariki Island, just offshore from Cosy Nook. This served as a refuge during conflicts between Ngāti Mamoe and Ngāi Tahu. In the late 1990s, Matariki Island and a small rocky islet were returned to Ngāii Tahu as part of their Treaty of Waitangi settlement.
When Europeans started sealing and whaling around the southern coast in the early 1800s, one of the oldest and largest Māori villages was in the cove. There were 40 to 50 whare (houses), and it became a centre for trade and interaction between Māori and Europeans. The village was known as Pahi after Ngāi Tahu rangatira Pahi.
Captain George Thomson was the first significant European settler in the area. He acquired some land and named his property “Cozy Neuk”, after a village in Scotland. Eventually, this name stuck.
