Ruakākā is a combination of the Māori language words rua,[3] meaning "hole", and kākā,[4] the native parrot Nestor meridionalis.
Pit dwellings, similar to those used by the Moriori, have been found in various places throughout the Marlborough Sounds.
Historian William Henry Sherwood Roberts posits it means "the yonder headland cliff".
[5] West Head[22] is located on the eastern tip of Ruakākā Bay.
West Head is a reference to the points location opposite Tory Channel.
The water around Luke Rock is relatively deep, with the North-East side containing weeds and a depth of only two metres.