 Its name is Māori meaning "meeting place by the sea".Maraetai was the original name for the smooth, calm tidal passage now known as Tamaki Strait, which is sheltered by Te Motu Arai-roa ("The Long Sheltering Island") now called Waiheke Island.The site of present-day Maraetai suburb was formerly the pā and kāinga (village) settlement known as Pohaturoa.