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Hawke's Bay Wine Country
Tourism Association
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Maori Legends relating to Hawke's Bay
The Hook of Maui
The shape of the Hawke’s Bay coastline resembles a fishhook. According to Maori legend the hook - or matau - once belonged to Maui, the legendary seafarer who used it to haul Te Ika a Maui, ‘The Fish of Maui’, from the inky blue depths of the adjacent Pacific Ocean. Matau-a-Maui - Hawke’s Bay, a gift from the sea.
The Legend of Te Mata Peak
According to Maori legend Te Mata hillscape is a sleeping giant, with the hill being the body of Maori Chief, Te Mata O Rongokako. Rongokako, a giant of a man, preyed upon the Heretaunga. The Heretaunga Chief's daughter was very beautiful and after seeing her, he decided to woo rather than make war. She set him many seemingly impossible tasks, which he accomplished until she told him to eat his way through the hill. The giant began to plough his way through the hill but choked on a large rock and dropped to the ground where he still lies today.
Pania of the Reef
There is no story more romantic than that of Pania, the beautiful maiden of the sea people and Karitoki, her handsome Maori lover. It is said that Pania lived with her lover-husband in a whare (house) at a spot now known as Sturm's Gully, near the foot of the Napier breakwater. But the sea people were forever calling her. She resisted their call for a long time, but the lure of the sea people became irresistible and she swam out to meet them, just once. The sea people came from the depths and surrounded her, they drew her down into the caverns of the sea, never to return to the land of mortals. And now, if you pass over the reef where the kingfish shoal and gaze in to the depths, you will see Pania with arms outstretched, ever striving to return to the lover she left on that fateful day.
The Longest Place Name in the World
Located in Central Hawke's Bay...
'Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau o tamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nuku pokai whenua kitanatahu'
s the longest place name in the world, according to the Guiness Book of Records.
It is given by the local Maori people, Ngati Kere to a hill to celebrate the eponymous ancestor Tamatea Pokai Whenua. Tamatea was a famous chief and warrior of his time. His son Kahungunu was the founder of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe which extends from Gisborne to Cape Palliser. Tamatea acquired his long name through different happenings in his life. Turipukaka-pikimaunga-tahu was given through his many raids and wanderings and he was such a huge muscular man that his name suited him.
It appears that while travelling through the back of Porangahau, Tamatea encountered the Ngati-Hine tribe and had to fight them to get past. The battle is known as the Matanui battle and during that fight his brother was killed. Tamatea was so grieved over the loss of his brother that he stayed for quite along time at that place and each morning he would sit on the knoll and play his lament on what is called the Koauau or Maori flute. Hence the name Taumata-whaka-tangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-turi-pukaka-pikimaunga-pokai-whenua-kitana-tahu, which means...
"The hilltop ,where Tamatea with big knees, conqueror of mountains, eater of land, traveller over land and sea, played his koauau to his beloved".
This lament is still sung at many tangis.
Love Songs - 'Pokarekare Ana'
This world famous love song was written by Paraire Tomoana from Waipatu in Hawkes Bay for his bride-to-be, Kuini Ripeka Ryland from Tokomaru Bay. This song was so popular among the Te Arawa people that they changed the word Waiapu to Rotorua!
Pokarekare ana
Nga wai on Waiapu
Whiti atu koe hine
Marino ana e
E hine e
Hoki mai ra
Ka mate ahau
I te aroha e How placid are the ripples
Of restless Waiapu
Dear, they know of your returning
From far across the sea
Dear Heart of mine
I'll wait for thee
My love is thine alone
To eternity
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