Kāhu ki Rotorua: Government Gardens site of many disputes

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See below for English translation

Oruawhata: He ngāwhā, he wai wera

Ki te waha tieke o Paepae-hākumanu he kāhui whakapakoko e tū ana. Nā Tene Waitere ngā whakapakoko i whakairo.

Ki tua o ēnei, he waharoa anō nei he kōperu e peruperu ana, otīā kai a rāua tahi he kōrero papai. Ko te whare pākehā e tū whakahīhī mai nanā ko te Mūheama. He hōhipera tawhito nō ngā rā o mua, kai tētehi atu wā, he whare kanikani whaihoki, he whare whakangāhau.

Ka mā te tiriti o Haupapa whakaterāwhiti ai ki tēnei whenua e te tangata ka tūponongia ki a Oruawhata. He ngāwhā, he wai wera. Ko tōna ingoa tika ko Te Puia-o-Te-Roro-o-te-rangi. He uri ia nō Tūtanekai. Kia tikina atu e ahau ko Tūtanekai, tāna ko Te Whatumairangi, tāna ko Ariariterangi tāna ko Te Roro-o-te-rangi me ōna taina. Koia hoki tēnei ko Te Waha-o-te-rangi, ko Te Tiwha-o-te-rangi kai kōnā ētehi anō o ōna ingoa, wheoi anō ēnei.

Ka wehe ngā tūpuna i Hāwaiki Tawhitiareare, kīhai i whakarerea iho e rātau ngā amuamu nui o taua whenua. E kore e kore, ka whāia rawatia ngā tūpuna e te pūhaehae, e te wene, e te patu tangata hoki. Tērā tētehi wā ka pā he raruraru ki a Te Roro-o-te-rangi me Tamamutu. He ariki nō Tūwharetoa. Kīhai i roa, ka āhua tautētete rāua. Ka riri tahi rāua ki Paepaehākumanu. E kōrerotia nuitia ana tēnei parekura e ngā uri o Ngai Te Arawa me Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Me te tini hoki o ngā tātai kōrero ka makere iho i te parekura kotahi.

Ka takahia te huarahi o te riri e Tamamutu ki te takere waka o ngā waiariki he ngaki utu te take. Ka rere te matua, he rangatira anake. Tā te mea he horo nō Te Roro-o-te-rangi ki te whakataka ope māna kāore i eke te rahi o āna tangata. Tā rātau taenga ki te hā puta o te riri, takoto mangu ana te whenua. Ko uru mai te wehi ki te ngākau o wētehi, nā reira tana whakatauāki; ' Ruia taitea, ruia taitea, kia tū ko taikākā ko ahau anake!’.

Wehi kore ana te taua. E wāuna hoki ki tēnei pakanga, he parekura nui nā Tūwharetoa. Ka hinga te nui o ngā rangatira o te ope taua a Te Roro-o-te-rangi i a Tamamutu. Ka ingoatia tēnei parekura ko Tāwharakurupeti. Ka hereherengia a Te Roro-o-te-rangi ka patua ōna taina. Engari tērā tētahi me he manu i motu i te koromāhanga, ko Tūnohopu e haehae tonu nei i te kūpenga a Tamamutu.

Oruawhata pool in the Government Gardens.

Ka whati te taua koia a Tūnohopu e oma ana me tana kurutao ki tana ringaringa, e takawhetawheta ana ngā waewae, kai te karo i ngā hahautanga a te ito, kai te papare i ngā kaiarearetanga a te hoa riri, kāore tētehi o ā rātau whiunga e pā ki a ia. Ka puta ia ki te koroaha ka tū me tana kurutao, ka werongia te hoa ngangare, ka hinga tērā, takoto noa te ika-a-Tūnohopu.E oma anō ngā waewae o Tūnohopu, kai te whāia rawatia āna takahanga e ngā amokura. Ka iti ki mua, ka nui ki muri ka puta ki Te Toto o Hinemaru. E matataki tonu ana a Tūnohopu ki ngā ito, nā wai rā, ka puta he toa, ka rua, ka toru, na wai , na wai, na wai ko te takapou o Tūkapua ki te whenua. He ahakoa te tokomaha o te tangata, e kaha tonu ana te ngākau o Tūnohopu. Ka roa e kakari ana ki te taua a Tamamutu, ka hāmama te waha o Te Kaipāhau. He tētēkura nō Tūwharetoa. ‘Waihongia atu. Koia he uri nō Rangitihi te ūpoko i ngāwhātia i tākaia ki te akatea, ehara i te aitanga a Tiki!’. Ka ora a Tūnohopu. Ka hoki ngā toa.

Ka tākerehāia te waka o Te Arawa. Ko ngā tupapaku ka maonga, ka mauria mai ki te ātea nui o Tongariro. Koia nā ko Tāwharakurupeti.

English Translation

The site of the Government Gardens is rich with history.

The poupou that stand to greet visitors have their stories so too does the gateway and the building currently under renovation. If travelling via Haupapa east towards the Government Gardens eventually you will come upon a large hot alkaline pool today known as Oruawhata.

Formerly this pool was known as Te Puia o Te Roro-o-te-rangi. Te Roro o te rangi was the descendant of the warrior chief Tūtanekai. Tūtanekai had a son named Te Whatumairangi, he had a son named Ariariterangi and Ariariterangi had Te Roro-o-te-rangi as well as his younger famous brothers. Te Roro-o-te-rangi, due to his natural abilities was also known as Te Waha-o-te-rangi and Te Tiwha-o-te-rangi.

It is said that the troubles of Hawaiki, unfortunately, followed the people of Te Arawa to these shores and for many generations, the warfare between ancient foes continued.

On one particular occasion, the Arawa people of the Rotorua region had fallen out of their relations with Taupō. An inevitable confrontation between Te Roro-o-te-rangi and Tamamutu saw these two powerful chiefs engage in combat at the very site we today know as Paepaehākumanu or the Government Gardens.

Many stories from the day are today still retained in the songs and chants of the Arawa as to the greatest of deeds displayed by the noblest of warriors of this period. When news had reached Te Roro-o-te-rangi that Tamamutu had arrived in the hot ake region, he moved extremely quickly to raise a fighting force to confront the invaders.

In his haste to meet Tamamutu, Te Roro-o-te-rangi did not have time to amass a great number of fighters and when finally he intercepted Tamamutu it must have been a sad moment to see that he was greatly outnumbered.

Turning to his warriors, he spoke to them; ' Let those who are afraid leave now, the strong will remain and fight’. The battle was a disaster for Te Roro-o-te-rangi and his warriors. The scene must have been horrific as the many chiefs lay scattered over the site only to eventually be piled up like the pulped leaves of the tāwhara.

The battle was accordingly called Tāwharakurupeti. Te Roro-o-te-rangi was captured, and his brother Te Kata was killed many more chiefs were also killed that day. But the most valiant and determined chief to walk away from the battlefield that day was Tūnohopu.

Fighting for his life, Tūnohopu found that he was forced away from the main fighting unit of his older brother Te Roro-o-te-rangi, as he was chased by the Tūwharetoa men eager to claim his life, he would quickly turn to face them, and with a flash of his koikoi easily dispatch of those who dared fight him. His eventual retreat ended when he broke out onto the water’s edge at an area known as Te Toto-o-Hinemaru, prepared to engage fiercely with whoever dared to fight, soon those who were chasing him stood before him in great numbers.

It was said that Te Kaipāhau a fellow leader from Tūwharetoa was so taken by the skill and courage of Tūnohopu, that he ordered his men to leave him. That such a man should not be killed in a cowardly way. Just as quickly as they had arrived at the beach, they had smartly turned around and disappeared.

Though Tūnohopu would survive sadly many of his immediate relations would not and from this battle a new leader would rise to protect his people. Tunohopu.