Horohoro, New Zealand

Transcription

[Traditional Māori music (14 secs)] [Narrator] Hatupatu's Rock, known to Māori as Te Kōhatu o Hatupatu stands next to the highway just north of Ātiamuri. It is a rock of great significance to Māori and is associated with an exciting story. Hatupatu was one of the early Māori ocean voyagers who travelled the vast distance from Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland of Māori, over the Pacific Ocean to Aotearoa, as New Zealand was known. Hatupatu travelled in the Arawa canoe, whose people later settled in the Rotorua area. Hatupatu's adventures and battles have been recounted many times by various storytellers, but perhaps his most famous encounter was with the monstrous magical bird-woman called Kurangaituku. Because it is a story that has been passed down from generation to generation, there are many different versions and variations of the story, depending on who is telling it. Hatupatu was a keen hunter and ventured far afield in pursuit of prey. It was during one of these expeditions that he was captured by Kurangaituku. Her name means 'Kura of the claws' and she was feathered like a bird, with long claws, and a sharp beak. Kurangaituku took Hatupatu to her lair. Some say she wanted to add him to her collection of captive pets, which included many birds and lizards. She also collected beautiful weapons and cloaks, including ones made out of the skin of dogs. One day Hatupatu made his escape while she was out, taking several of Kurangaituku's precious possessions with him. But one of the birds escaped and alerted Kurangaituku to her captive's escape. She returned and took off after Hatupatu and an epic chase began. When Hatupatu reached a clearing he found his way barred by a huge rock, so screamed for the rock to open up. 'Matiti matata!' he yelled. The rock magically opened and Hatupatu jumped inside. As the rock closed again, Kurangaituku tried to get him and desperately clawed at the rock but she was unsuccessful. Hatupatu was safe inside. When Hatupatu thought the coast was clear, he came out from the rock and headed towards Mokoia Island, where his parents lived. But after some time, he looked up and saw Kurangaituku flapping her large wings and pursuing him. Finally he reached Whakarewarewa. Being his home territory, Hatupatu knew this area well and the small and nimble fellow managed to leap and avoid many of the dangerous boiling hot pools. The large and ungainly Kurangaituku was not so lucky. She fell into one of the hot pools which took her down into the boiling water beneath the earth and she was never seen again. Hatupatu's Rock stands as a memorial to his impressive escape from Kurangaituku. Sometimes passers-by leave offerings such as sprigs of fern or manuka, and food at the rock. Today, you can see big scratches on the face of the rock. These are believed to be the long claw marks that Kurangaituku made as she tried to open the rock to get Hatupatu.