Page 4 - 2008 NZ Subantarctic Islands

about his “magic powers” but were pleased at the take. Suddenly,

Maui’s line was almost bent double by the weight of his fish. He
called to his brothers to help him pull it in and they hurried to

assist him. The effort was enormous but they persevered using
every remaining bit of strength they possessed. A huge dorsal fin

and long backbone broke the ocean’s surface and they marveled
that Maui must have snagged a whale! The great contest
continued for several hours before the entire “catch” appeared

floating before their wondering eyes. They called the prize “Te Ika
a Maui” (Maui’s Big Fish), but today it is known as the North

Island of New Zealand. Maori legend insists that this is the true
origin of that part of the country. As the three brothers kept on

struggling, another large piece of land finally popped above the
waves and they called it “Te Waka de Maui” (The Canoe of Maui),

today the bigger South Island. Little bits and pieces of land
continued to rise during their titanic struggle, the largest of these
they called “Te Pung a Maui” (Maui’s Anchor) but today we know

it as Stewart Island lying to the south of big South Island. The
other little land bits that were pulled along after that “anchor”

like a lost rope line, they failed to name. But today, they are called
the SubAntarctic Islands of New Zealand.

Such is the Maori version of the origin of their home islands:

Aotearoa, as they call New Zealand in their language. With great
fascination, I learned that modern geologists’ have a theory about
the origin of this wonderful place that does not conflict fatally

with the Maori version. These scientists deal with plate tectonics
rupturing huge land masses occurring 200 millions years ago and

with powerful under-ocean earthquakes causing sea bottoms to
rise. Gondwanaland is the name geologists have given to the

supercontinent from which India, Africa, Australia and Antarctica
were born. Of course, all the smaller land masses in the Southern

Hemisphere also were ripped off this giant continent—including
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