They spent some time in the bay and the people who were left there by Kupe when he returned to Hawaiki are considered the first settlers of New Zealand.

Uika, Toi te Huatahi's grandson, also landed there, and settled permanently on North Head (Maungauika).

[3] The settlement existed into the mid-19th century, and was known for potato gardens, cabbages, pig farming, and as a place where shark meat was suspended to dry.

[4][5] In 1827, French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville, anchored the Astrolabe at Torpedo Bay, becoming the earliest known European to visit the area.

Lottin, the ship's surveyor, climbed Takarunga / Mount Victoria, and noted the pā fortifications, huts and stonefield gardens in the area.