Story: Whenua – how the land was shaped
According to tradition the Southern Alps, reflected here in the Okarito Lagoon, were formed when the Ārai-te-uru canoe arrived from Hawaiki. As it travelled down the coast of the South Island, more than 150 passengers leapt ashore and became mountains. In one version of the story, Aoraki (Mt Cook) was a small boy carried on a relative’s shoulders, which is why that mountain is taller than all the others.
About this item
Department of Conservation
Reference: 10054005
Photograph by Philippe Gerbeaux
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