Story: Tapa whenua – naming places

Te Rerenga Wairua

This is Te Rerenga Wairua, meaning the leaping place of spirits, at Cape Rēinga. It was from here that the spirits of the dead were believed to depart. They descended by way of the root of the pōhutukawa tree.

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How to cite this page:

Rāwiri Taonui, 'Tapa whenua – naming places - Names from Polynesian mythology', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/video/18644/te-rerenga-wairua (accessed 24 April 2024)

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 24 Nov 2008