[4] It was named for a fence that climbed a steep border between the farms of Vogel and Gullery in the middle of the 20th century.
[6][7] Mistletoe is likely a reference to one of New Zealand's nine native mistletoes, the most likely culprits being Peraxilla tetrapetala (pirirangi/pikirangi),[8] Peraxilla colensoi (pirita/pirinoa)[9] and Alepis flavida (pirita/pirinoa),[10] as they commonly grow in beech forests like the Nothofagus solandri (tawairauriki/tawhairauriki)[11] forests historically found along Queen Charlotte Sound.
The bay is home to pūrātoke glow-worms,[16] bioluminescent plankton and stingrays.
[15] Torapapa Point is located on the eastern tip of Ōnahau Bay.
[20] Herbert owned the Bankhouse run and station in the fork of the Wairau and Waihopai rivers in Marlborough.