New Zealand - Auckland - Awhitu District School - Form 1 & 2 - 1989 Photo Courtesy of Diane G Do you have more information about the school or the people in this photo? Please use the comment section below to share. To search for other photos from this school, please type the schools name in to our search engine. Āwhitu Peninsula - The Āwhitu Peninsula is a long peninsula in the North Island of New Zealand, extending north from the mouth of the Waikato River to the entrance to Manukau Harbour. - The Āwhitu Peninsula was formed geologically recently, from black volcanic sand from eruptions of Mount Taranaki mixed with white quartz and pumice sand, carried from the Waikato River. Prior to this, the Manukau Harbour was an extensive bay. On 20 March 1840, a signing of the Treaty of Waitangi organised for Manukau and Waikato chiefs was held at Orua Bay. During the event, Apihai Te Kawau of Ngāti Whātua signed, but several Waikato Tainui chiefs refused - The Peninsula has a high sympatric diversity of native New Zealand land snails. Communities of >70 native species in a 4 ha patch of bush can be found here, whereas in other parts of the world, 15 sympatric land snail species would be considered high