Te Mata's sleeping giant comes to life

For years teachers at Te Mata Kindergarten, in Havelock North, have held their young audience spellbound as they told the story of the sleeping giant.

In fact the legend has probably been repeated in thousands of cars heading to Havelock North as people point out the sleeping giant on Te Mata Peak.

Legend has it that a giant of a man living across the hill at Waimarama would climb the hill and cause havoc at a pa in Pakipaki. One day the chief decided to send his beautiful daughter to fall in love with him so they could live in peace.

It worked - they fell in love and they wanted to get married. But the people at the pa were angry and couldn't forgive the giant.

So the chief set a test for the giant to prove how much he loved his daughter. One of the tasks was to bite a pathway through the hill to Waimarama.

He died in his attempt and today if you look east across Havelock North and Hastings towards the hill, you can see the giant lying where he fell.

That's the short version anyway.

It's much better to read about it in the kindergarten's book The Legend of Te Mata O Rongokako, The Sleeping Giant, retold by Annelisa Ferguson and illustrated by Sophie Blokker.

Te Mata Kindergarten teacher Fiona Francois said she was thrilled at the fantastic reception the book had received.

"We are a non-profit organisation so any proceeds we make from the book go straight back into the kindergarten," she said.

"The book is something we (teachers) have talked about doing for a long time. In fact we are obviously not the only ones to think about it. We have found copies in the archives that previous teachers have made to read to the children.

"So when Annelisa Ferguson was a student teacher we asked her to do some research on the legend as part of her study."

Miss Ferguson started by acting out the legend in a puppet show which the children loved.

"Then one day I was at the markets in Havelock North and saw a painting of the sleeping giant done by Sophie Blokker," Ms Francois said.

"I knew instantly it was just what we needed to illustrate the book."

Ms Blokker agreed and her paintings make this book something special. Her paintings pop off the page at you and finish off a long journey for the kindergarten.

The book was presented to Jerry Hapuku, a Havelock North resident and kaumatua from Kahuranaki Marae, who then blessed the book at the official launch.

Mr Hapuku is a descendant of the Kahungunu/Whatuiapiti chief Te Hapuku who was one of the signatories to the Treaty of Waitangi near the mouth of the Tukituki River on June 23, 1840.

The book has been popular with a rerun just delivered.

The money from sales has been earmarked for improvements to the playground.

Copies of the book are available from the kindergarten, Apple Activities, the Information Centre in Hastings, Poppies in Havelock North, Arataki Honey House in Havelock North and Beattie and Forbes in Napier.