A whale of a tale

The hills of Welcome Bay began life as whales, the spiritual guardians of the ocean. Photo/ Phil Drongool

"When the original [Maori] canoes traversed the Pacific Ocean, many of them made their way here, to Tauranga.

In fact, the full name of Tauranga is Te Tauranga o Nga Waka, which is 'the landing place of the many canoes'.

It was a place that was well sought after, so the canoes came. One of the canoes was led here by the denizens of the ocean, the spiritual guardians of the ocean.

There are many different types of spiritual guardians, one of which are the whales.

So when the canoes arrived, one of the whales, a baby, ventured into the harbour and made its way up into what is now, today, the Welcome Bay area, or Rangataua as it's known to us.

As the infant made its way up, it was followed by its parents and, unbeknown to the parents, there was an enchanted spring [at Karikari].

The infant made its way up into the upper reaches of the harbour and found it needed to quench its thirst. It partook of the enchanted well, after which it was transformed into a hill that we call Hikurangi.

The mother followed it and, in anguish, also partook of the same spring and she, too, was transformed into the physical point known as Mangatawa, or Maungamana.

The father, who was beside himself with grief, once he saw that both his partner and his dear child had been transformed into mountains, also partook of the sacred spring that he might remain with them for all time.

And that is Kopukairoa, sometimes referred to as 'Old Baldy'.

- As told to Rosie Dawson-Hewes