Orakei Korako has been an important settlement site of Ngati Tahu for many generations. The settlement of Orakei Korako consisted of a fortified pa on the left bank above the river and a living area on the flats beside the river amidst the geysers and hot pools.The geothermal landscape has changed over time, but the geysers, hot springs, bubbling mud pools and silica terraces remain within the geothermal park. Initially the early Europeans did the river crossing in a waka (dug out canoe) until the 1930s. In 1937 the punt ( a wire strop and pulley system fastened to a small barge) was used to transport visitors across the river.