New Zealand is renowned for having some of the most stunning scenery in the world, with active volcanoes and spectacular lakes, glaciers and haunting coastal formations known as sounds. Unsurprisingly many of these sights have legends that go along with them. Let’s take a look at few legendary Kiwi places.
Taupo and the bird woman
Just north of Taupo, a young man called Hatupatu was chased by a terrifying bird-woman monster called Kurangaituku. He hid inside a giant rock which can be seen today and still bears the marks of where the bird woman tried to claw her way into it.
Spooky!
To save himself, he later led her into one of the area’s many volcanic mud pools.
Taranaki and the mountain mega-fight
On the North Island, Mount Taranaki is said to have once been more centrally-located, standing next to Tongariro, but all the “male” mountains fell out over the “lady” mountain, Pihanga. Taranaki stormed off to sulk by the coast and that’s why there’s lots of swamps between where he “used” to stand and his location today. Sheesh, you wouldn’t have wanted to get in the middle of that volcanic bar fight. Today you can enjoy skiing down these argumentative giants.
Mokoia Island and the love between Hinemoa and Tutanekai
Although Mokoia Island in Lake Rotorua is a private sanctuary today, it is famous in New Zealand for being the focal point of a tale of two great lovers. Forbidden from seeing her sweetheart by her father, Hinemoa jumped into the water and swam two miles over to the island to reach Tutanekai, guided by the sound of his flute. The legend is the basis of the country’s most famous love song “Pokarekare Ana” – you can hear it played in every genre, from guitar rock to Kiri Te Kanawa opera, throughout the country.
Lake Waikaremoana and the daughter who became a monster
The unusual formations of LakeWaikaremoana in Te Uruwera National Park were created by a “taniwha” (a dragon-like spirit that lives in deep lakes, rivers, caves or in the ocean) which originally started off life as the daughter of a chief. He asked her to fetch some water but she refused, so he rather harshly drowned her in a spring. She transformed into a sea monster which longed to reach the ocean. Her attempts at smashing through the sides of the spring eventually formed the large lake. Exhausted, she fell and formed into a rock which can be seen today on the east side of LakeWaikaremoana.
Stewart Island and the country’s anchor
Rakiura, or Stewart Island, is New Zealand’s third biggest island and sits a little further south of the South Island. According to legend, New Zealand was formed by Maui, a god-like hero who set out on a canoe to catch a huge fish. The NorthIsland is the fish, the South Island is the canoe, and Stewart Island is the anchor of the boat, stabilising it so that Maui could haul in his huge catch.
Mount Tarawera and the ghost canoe
Tarawera today was once the home of a site known as the eighth wonder of the world – the Pink and White Terraces. These dramatic colourful formations were completely covered by a volcanic eruption in June 1886 and replaced by the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley (which, in typical New Zealand style, is still an enchanting tourist attraction). Luckily some of the villagers living by the terraces managed to escape annihilation because a few days before the eruption, a ghostly omen was seen in the area. A “waka”, or canoe, was seen floating around the local lake, carrying grim-looking men dressed for war. Despite being seen by locals and tourists alike, the canoe disappeared into the mist, and canny villagers realised it was an omen that something terrible was about to happen. How right they were!
Nelson and the shifting bank of rocks
The Boulder Bank is a long coastal spit a few kilometres offshore from the city of Nelson. The bank has grown to around 13.5 kilometres long and is considered to be the largest formation of its kind in the world. In Maori legend, it was created when Kupe, the great Maori forefather, was chasing two former underlings who had kidnapped his daughter. They managed to escape his wrath by whispering prayers that made a growing barrier of boulders suddenly appear that kept Kupe’s canoe away from the shore. As well as the bank, the beautiful area around Nelson is famous for the Abel Tasman National Park.
Main image by cianc
