Story: Whenua – how the land was shaped
In some traditions Māui stood on the Kaikōura Peninsula when he hauled up his great fish, the North Island. In other versions, the first piece of land to emerge from the sea was Hikurangi, the sacred mountain of the Ngāti Porou people. They believe that Māui’s canoe, Nukutaimemeha, remains stranded on the mountain’s peak.
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GNS Science
Reference: 41063
Photograph by Lloyd Homer
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