Much of the western Hunua Ranges flows into the Wairoa River, including Cosseys Creek and the Ōtau Valley, both of which have been dammed as freshwater reservoirs.

The Hūnua Falls, a 30 metre high waterfall, flows overtop of an ancient volcanic plug.

[13] The river-mouth was used as a summer pioke (Shortspine spurdog shark) fishing ground, which were dried for the winter months.

[13] When William Thomas Fairburn visited the area in 1833, it was mostly unoccupied due to the events of the Musket Wars, as most members of Ngāi Tai had fled to temporary refuge in the Waikato.

[15][14] In 1836, Fairburn purchased 40,000 acres between Ōtāhuhu and Umupuia (Duders Beach), including much of the catchment of the Wairoa River.

[14] From 1854, European farming settlers began to arrive on the banks of the Wairoa River, forming the township of Clevedon.

[13] Ngāi Tai held a defended settlement on the eastern banks of the Wairoa River opposite Clevedon, known as Ōtau.

For the remainder of the war, Ngāi Tai were designated as a "friendly" people by the Crown, and remained neutral in the fighting.