This is the story of Whakatau-potiki, the son of Tuwhakararo and Apakura who lived in Hawaiki. He was the youngest of their children hence the name potiki. As he grew up he became skilled in the arts of Magic and of War and hence amassed much mana. By his powers he was able to turn himself into a spider which he did when seeking utu for the death of his father by which he destroyed the famous wharenui Te Tihi o Manono. Thus did the well known Te Roroa pepeha evolve: “Kotahi tangata ki Hawaiki, ko Whakatau anake” – “There was but one man in Hawaiki, Whakatau “. He married Matangireia and came with his wife and son Rongomai in the waka Mahuhu-ki-te-rangi which, upon rounding North Cape, ultimately landed at Kawerua, south of Hokianga.
We do not know by what name Kawerua was called at that time for it was named as such much later by Whakatau’s descendant Tohe. What seems clear though is that the canoe landing must have been a planned event for the boat channel to Kawerua is not easily visible from the sea and is unlikely to have been stumbled upon accidentally.
Upon reaching the outer boat channel where the sea was boisterous, Whakatau gave the order to cease paddling following which he raised aloft his toki Te Rere a Te Po and ordered the waves and winds to abate, to permit the waka to land safely which it did. The power of the tapu laid over the boat channel and surrounding sea by Whakatau’s karakia so long ago still endures and keeps those places safe. Indeed, the Te Roroa kaumatua Tutenganahau Paniora told the Waitangi Tribunal that all the iwi fishing grounds twelve miles out to sea from Kawerua remain protected under Whakatau’s karakia.
Whakatau and his people soon discovered that Kawerua was a place of plenty. There were kina, paua, pupu, toheroa and koura inshore and mullet, snapper, conger eel, stingray and other fish offshore. Some of the fishing grounds were named Okuratore, Papatea, Nga Tiheru,Okotare and Mairirua. Gardens grew kumara, taro and uhi while the bush produced more kai by way of karaka, miro. pikopiko, tawhara, nikau , kareao, birds and rats.
Matatuahu was the name of his whare wananga where he recited his karakia and, as a matakite, carried out his rituals. It was a very tapu house forbidden to everyone else. Wai O Tane was the source of his tapu water. It was guarded by taniwha who ensured that only Whakatau took water from the spring. His kainga was called Mahuhukiterangi after his waka. It was situated in the valley behind the old Kawerua Hotel and under the shadow of the lookout point Pukenui O Rongo. In the midst of the kainga stood a whare manuhiri for visitors. It was a very large house with four hearths. Many travellers journeying north and south, including his own Muriwhenua whanaunga, received hospitality at Whakatau’s kainga.
Whakatau died at Kawerua and was buried at Matatuahu. Later, his remains were reinterred at Waipoua. His toki was preserved at Waipoua as a taonga and retained by his descendants. It remains at Waipoua today. Following Whakatau’s death, his son Rongomai took command of Mahuhukiterangi and took the waka to Kaipara. Subsequently, Rongomai’s sons Tikiwharawhara and Pohurihanga returned to Muriwhenua. All these events occurred a long, long time ago before even the waka Mamari and Ngatokimatawhaorua came to Hokianga.
Na Gary Hooker
We do not know by what name Kawerua was called at that time for it was named as such much later by Whakatau’s descendant Tohe. What seems clear though is that the canoe landing must have been a planned event for the boat channel to Kawerua is not easily visible from the sea and is unlikely to have been stumbled upon accidentally.
Upon reaching the outer boat channel where the sea was boisterous, Whakatau gave the order to cease paddling following which he raised aloft his toki Te Rere a Te Po and ordered the waves and winds to abate, to permit the waka to land safely which it did. The power of the tapu laid over the boat channel and surrounding sea by Whakatau’s karakia so long ago still endures and keeps those places safe. Indeed, the Te Roroa kaumatua Tutenganahau Paniora told the Waitangi Tribunal that all the iwi fishing grounds twelve miles out to sea from Kawerua remain protected under Whakatau’s karakia.
Whakatau and his people soon discovered that Kawerua was a place of plenty. There were kina, paua, pupu, toheroa and koura inshore and mullet, snapper, conger eel, stingray and other fish offshore. Some of the fishing grounds were named Okuratore, Papatea, Nga Tiheru,Okotare and Mairirua. Gardens grew kumara, taro and uhi while the bush produced more kai by way of karaka, miro. pikopiko, tawhara, nikau , kareao, birds and rats.
Matatuahu was the name of his whare wananga where he recited his karakia and, as a matakite, carried out his rituals. It was a very tapu house forbidden to everyone else. Wai O Tane was the source of his tapu water. It was guarded by taniwha who ensured that only Whakatau took water from the spring. His kainga was called Mahuhukiterangi after his waka. It was situated in the valley behind the old Kawerua Hotel and under the shadow of the lookout point Pukenui O Rongo. In the midst of the kainga stood a whare manuhiri for visitors. It was a very large house with four hearths. Many travellers journeying north and south, including his own Muriwhenua whanaunga, received hospitality at Whakatau’s kainga.
Whakatau died at Kawerua and was buried at Matatuahu. Later, his remains were reinterred at Waipoua. His toki was preserved at Waipoua as a taonga and retained by his descendants. It remains at Waipoua today. Following Whakatau’s death, his son Rongomai took command of Mahuhukiterangi and took the waka to Kaipara. Subsequently, Rongomai’s sons Tikiwharawhara and Pohurihanga returned to Muriwhenua. All these events occurred a long, long time ago before even the waka Mamari and Ngatokimatawhaorua came to Hokianga.
Na Gary Hooker
