The village 's name comes from the Māori-language word '' Waipātiki '' , meaning “ water of the flounder ” . The area was once an estuarine valley , well populated in pre-European times because the estuary was a rich source of flounder '' Rhombosolea plebeia '' . The 1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake lifted the flats and a stream system formed
1931 Hawke 's Bay earthquake
1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake
Waipatiki Beach