Iriirikapua is a significant rock still found on the eastern shore of Lake Rotorua.
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Click here for English translation Ko wai ra-a i runga i-a-a Iri-iri-Kapua? Ko Hinemoa pea-a Ko te-e tamahine a Umukaria-a; Hai tau nāku ki te whare ra-a
Ko Iriirikapua tētehi pōwhatu mana nui whakaharahara kai te kitea tonutia ki Owhata.
He ahakoahe tini ngā pakiwaitara me ngā kōrero tuku iho mō tēnei pōwhatu he kotahi noa kai te kaha kōrerongia e ngā hapū huhua o Te Arawa, ā, ko te pakiwaitara mō Hinemoa te puhi o Umukaria te rangatira nui o te iwi, he uri pūkākā nō Tūhourangi kai mātotao.
Ko Umukaria ka moe i a Hinemaru ka puta ki waho ko Hinemoa. Taro kau iho te wā ka moe a Hinemoa i a Tūtanekai ka puta ki waho ko te whare huata o Tūtanekai. E hui ana ngā rangatira ka rūpeke katoa ngā hapū ki Kaiweka ki runga o Mokoia ki te rūnanga ngā take taumaha o te wā, ka roa e noho ana ka mawhiti te terenga manawa o Tūtanekai i te putanga mai o te ngōngōrotangiwai a Umukaria ki te ātea o te kāinga.
He ahakoa he puhi a Hinemoa kare rawa i whakaaengia kia noho tahi ia me ngā tūtūā. He pōriro a Tūtanekai nā Tūwharetoa. E hakoke ana a Whakaue te tāne rangatira o Rangiuru ka tae mai a Tūwharetoa ki te Waiariki.
I te korenga o Whakaue ka moe tahi rāua, ko Rangiuru me Tūwharetoa. Ka huri ngā mārama ka whānau mai tā rāua tamaiti tāne pōriro ko Tūtanekai. Ka whakatupungia tēnei tamaiti e Whakaue me ko tana tamaiti tāne ake tahi me ōna tuakana. Ka pakeketia a Tūtanekai ka heke iho te mana nui o Uenukukopako ki a ia.
Kua riro tōna ngākau i a Tūtanekai, kāre he titiro ki whea atu. Ka taka te wā ka ngātahi noa te tukinga ngākau tētehi ki tētehi me pēwhea e tūnahatia ai te ngata o te hiahia. Ki tā Umukaria me moe rangatira noa tana puhi kihai i whakaae ki a moe tangata noa, nā reira ka tōia rawatia ngā waka ki uta kia kāua e uru mai te whakaaro ki te ngākau o tana tamāhine kai hoea te moana ki Kaiweka.
Wairerewai, the shore where Hinemoa left to swim to Mokoia Island. Photo / Raimona Inia
Ki Mokoia ki Kaiweka te wairua o Tūtanekai e whakangākau atu ana ki a Hinemoa. Ka kī a ia ki tana takatāpui ki a Tiki ki te whakatangi pūtorino ki te whakatangi kōauau e tere atu ai ngā kare-ā-roto ōna ki tana mākau. Ka nōhia te ātamira e rāua ka whakatangihia ngā pūoro ka māunu te ia o te tangi ki a Hinemoa, ka whati katoa ngā wāhanga o te whatumoana i tana mōhiotanga ko tana mākau ko Tūtanekai e whakatangi pūoro ana.
Ki runga o Iriirikapua noho kau a Hinemoa me te whakarongo kau ki te tangi o te pūtorino me te kōauau. Kua kapohia ake ia e te wairua murimuri aroha o tana mākau.
E noho ana, e titiro atu ana ki ngā waka ki uta, ka heke i te pōwhatu nei, ka nanaohia he kiaka ka herea ki tōna tinana ka uru i Wairerewai e kautū ana ka taparere te moana, ka kauria ai te moana ko te tangi o tana mākau e arahi ana i tana ngākau.
Ka roa e kaukau ana kua mutu noa te tangi o tana mākau, ka tae mai te ngēngē ki ōna ringaringa ki tōna tinana ka whakangā ki Hinewhata he pou-kōura kai wē moana, kua kore tēnei pou me ngā pou maha ināianei.
Whoi anō, ka kī anō te ngakau o Hinemoa ka kauria te āio pīpī o te moana ki te tarouma o tana mākau ki te takapau wharanui o Tūtanekai.
Ki reira rāua moe tahi ai.
See yonder lonely form On Iri-iri-Kapua rock, Perchance 'tis Hinemoa, The maiden daughter of Umukaria A loving wife of mine thou'lt be.
Iriirikapua is a significant rock that can still be found on the eastern shore of Lake Rotorua.
Though there may be many stories associated with this site there is but one that has long been held dear to the hearts of the Arawa tribes is that of Hinemoa. The high born maiden daughter of the great chief Umukaria, the proud descendant of Tuhourangi.
Umukaria by his wife Hinemaru had Hinemoa the future wife of the revered warrior Tutanekai.
Such was the nature of social gatherings that by chance, Tutanekai caught the eye of Hinemoa and as the meetings among the two individual tribes increased, so did the attraction between these two. Tutanekai was, in his own right, an up-and-coming man of importance. His mother was Rangiuru, who had eloped with the chief Tuwharetoa.
When Whakaue, the husband of Rangiuru returned, Tuwharetoa had long departed.
Eventually, Rangiuru was with child. However, the father was not Whakaue but Tuwharetoa. Though the revelation may have been heart-breaking, Tutanekai was an acknowledged son of Whakaue, no different to his older brothers. He was raised as a true son of the chief Whakaue and would, in time, assume his mana.
It was to Tutanekai that Hinemoa was most attracted.
Over time their emotions for each other escalated and could no longer be hidden.
Kei Owhata marae a Iriirikapua e noho ana. Whakaahua / Raimona Inia
Umukaria was adamant that his daughter would marry no other man save one of stature. Knowing full well that there was a romance brewing between the couple, he ordered that all waka be hauled up onto the shore at a great distance, ensuring that his daughter would not be overtaken by stupidity and race on across the lake to the island of Mokoia.
Below Kaiweka upon Mokoia, an elevated platform was erected by Tutanekai and his companion Tiki.
Both musicians decided that to grasp the heart of Hinemoa forever, both Tutanekai and Tiki would play at night. Upon the still waters, the songs of the kōauau and putorino would travel to the ears of Hinemoa.
Hinemoa was sitting upon Iriirikapua and knew that it was Tutanekai sending his song of love. Her heart filled with courage, Hinemoa pulled together as many gourds as she could find to act as flotation devices.
She climbed down Iriirikapua and made her way to Wairerewai before entering the night waters of Rotorua.
Still, the sound of Tutanekai's music encouraged her forward.
Suddenly the music stopped, and fearing for her safety for the first time in the sudden vastness of the waters, she rested upon the post-Hinewhata, before again continuing with her journey.
