Story: Crabs, crayfish and other crustaceans

At the crayfish hole

At the crayfish hole

In the picture book Crayfishing with grandmother, by Jill Bagnall with Māori text by Hapi Potae, the old grandmother finds a crayfish hole in a rock pool near her home and shows her grandson Wira how to catch a cray by hand:

‘Here’s the crayfish hole,’ called Grandmother softly. Wira stood and looked into the deep blue hole …

Carefully Grandmother lowered herself into the water, her fingers holding the edge of the rock. Then she took a deep breath and dived.

Ka āta karanga te Tipuna, ‘Anei te rua, anei te rua kōura.’ Ka tū a Wira, ka titiro ki te kōpua …

Tūpato te whakaheke a te Tipuna i a ia ki roto i te wai, ā, ko ōna ringa e pupuri ana ki te mata o te toka. Ka hā ia, ā, ka tūpou.

Using this item

HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Reference: Jill Bagnall and Hapi Potae, Crayfishing with grandmother. Auckland: Collins, 1975
Artwork by Barbara Strathdee

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How to cite this page:

Niel Bruce and Alison MacDiarmid, 'Crabs, crayfish and other crustaceans - Crayfishing', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/artwork/8239/at-the-crayfish-hole (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Niel Bruce and Alison MacDiarmid, published 12 Jun 2006