FAMILY HISTORY

"The Dunes" is part of a farm owned by the Ringer family. The subdivision is named after the house on the Matapouri beachfront which was built for the Ringer family's great-grandparents William (Bill) and Ruby Coates in the early 1940s.

The original family farm was bought by John (Jock) Morrison in 1912, just before the First World War. The land was purchased from T. Aspden who had in turn bought it from the Galbraith Brothers who were the first pakeha owners in the 1800s. The original owners of the land are the Ngatiwai people, who have lived in the area for over 32 generations. The local hapu are Te Whanau o Rangiwhakaahu.

The farm was handed down to the current owners through Jock and Molly Morrison's daughter Mary Ringer. The remaining farmland, including the hills surrounding the subdivision, is being retained by the family.

Early in 2010 the beachfront area where the great-grandparents house was became Reserve. The Ringer's legal ownership to the land was challenged by a group of locals. In an endeavour to resolve the situation the Ringer family agreed to sell the land concerned to DoC at a heavily discounted price. Since that transaction occurred the house has been removed so now front row of The Dunes sections abuts the beach Reserve.