Manaia/Otakeho

Doug and I left New Plymouth after breakfast to travel to Manaia, to visit the area where the Coxheads had broken in land and farmed in the late 1800's.

My grandmother, Robina Coxhead, was born during this time. (1891) Ruby's father, Robert had also been born in NZ (1851); Robert's father, a Robert as well, and wife, Isabella Muir arrived in NZ in 1842. They moved to Taranaki after living in the South Auckland area for a time.

Ruby's mother, Eva Hill was born in England. Her family moved to Taranaki when Eva and Robert married in 1885. The older Coxheads and Hills lived out their remaining years in Taranaki.

I was very keen to find my great-great-grandparent's graves.



We found the Coxhead graves in an old cemetery at a small settlement called Otakeho. Great-Gt- Grandmother doesn't get a mention, but I have been told that she is buried here too. It is north of Manaia. There was also a Hill grave that I haven't identified yet.



We then went back to Manaia to see if we could find some Hills. We were fortunate - here is the grave of Eva's parents Alfred and Julia Hill.



I had read that Eva and Robert's first home was on Palmer Rd. Robert broke in land and built a house for his wife and their first child, Miriam. As we drove towards the foothills I tried to imagine the view that Eva would have enjoyed from her new home. Cloud began to clear, and Mt Egmont revealed herself for the first time this weekend. What a beautiful view!