Page 7 - Puhipi

fled before him and which led him to Aotearoa where he killed it. The circumstances of

the landfall made on this voyage gave New Zealand its Maori name.

Kupes wife Hine-te-Aparangi saw land like a white cloud on the horizon and called
out “He Ao!, He Ao!” which means a cloud, a cloud. From this the country received its
first name of Aotea, later it came to be called Aotearoa, the long white cloud. Kupe is
said then to have sailed right around the country, through Cook Strait and down the
west coast of the Sth Island where the precious greenstone was found and where

Ngahue killed a moa. Finally the voyagers left Aotearoa and returned to their Pacific
home leaving in tradition a description of the new land, somewhat ambiguous
directions as to how to get there and a proverb expressing his intentions not to make

the trip again “E Hoki Kupe?”, it says “Will Kupe return?”, this is quoted as implying
an indirect but nevertheless definite refusal.

Kupes canoe is said to have had two anchor stones, one from Rangiatea and the other
from Rarotonga. The latter was called Maungaroa after the hill from which it was
taken. This anchor is said to have been left at Porirua and another picked up as proof
that a new land had been found. The legend was subsequently transferred to a local

stone also called Maungaroa which lay near Paremata for centuries, respected by all
who saw it. It now lies in the Dominion Museum at Wellington.

The story of Toi and Whatonga tells of two men, Whatonga & Tu-Rahui who were
blown away from Tahiti when taking part in a canoe race. Their grandfather Toi-te-

Huatahi set out in his canoe Te-Paepae-ki-Rarotonga to look for them, eventually
landing in Aotearoa. Finally Toi reached Whakatane where weary, and sad and old
he abandoned the search and settled down in his village of Ka-pu-Terangi overlooking
the present town. But the lost pair returned home to Tahiti after many adventures, and
Whatonga finding that his grandfather had gone prepared in his turn to seek him. He

took a canoe named Te Hawai refilled it, renamed it Kurahaupo and sailed south.
Eventually he to reached Aotearoa where he was reunited with Toi. Their descendants,
products of the union with Tangata Whenua women peopled a wide area of the Bay
of Plenty.