Place names cast light on legend's rich tapestry

N EW ZEALAND'S European settlers tended to be prosaic about their place names, naming towns after local dignitaries, such as Joseph Masters and Charles Rooking Carter, or foreign politicians such as Palmerston or Gladstone. Sometimes they imported names from their homelands _ Worksop, Lansdowne _ and sometimes they used very simple descriptive names _ First St, Main St, Nursery Rd.
Not so Maori, who delighted in poetic names that commemorated historical events or epic journeys. They recorded their origin in waiata, handed down through the generations, among the best known of which concerned the travels, and domestic problems, of Haunui-a-Nanaia, whose journey started in the mythical homeland of Hawaiki. There are many versions of this famous story recorded across the bottom half of the North Island, with a number of different subtle changes, depending on where the story was being told, but the gist stays the same.
A chief called Popoto, a grandson of the famous explorer Kupe, was among the early arrivals to Aotearoa, arriving on the Kurahaupo waka and, with Whatonga and other chiefs, settling at Mahia. He married Nanaia, having a number of children, including Hau, who in turn married a woman named Wairaka.
Hau and some of his brothers returned temporarily to Hawaiki, Hau leaving Wairaka in the care of a pair of slaves, usually called Weka and Kiwi. When he returned from Hawaiki he was told his wife had run away with the two men _ or that they had run away with her.
Most versions of the story are silent about how and why Hau ended up in the Whanganui area but the great naming expedition seems to start when he made his way south from Taranaki, looking for the miscreant trio.
He was first confronted by the large estuary at the mouth of what he called the Whanganui River _ Whanga being harbour or bay, and nui being large. He journeyed further south and quickly came upon another river, so quickly in fact that it seemed to him he could splash water from one river to the next, hence Whangaehu, splash harbour. He also faced a dilemma at the next major river, a deep-sided, narrow stream which was going to be difficult to cross. Looking around, Hau noticed a dead tree lying on the banks and he manoeuvred it into position to serve as a bridge, hence Turakina, thrown down.
After a night's rest, his journey was just as wearying the following day. He made slow progress across rough country and was very tired when he came across a large river in the evening, so he rested up. He called this the Rangitikei, a day of plodding.
The next river he came across was even more of a problem. It was the largest since leaving Whanganui, and was so wide and deep that he caught his breath, hence Manawatu, still breath.
According to the West Coast versions of this tale, things came to a head shortly afterwards, when he caught up with his wife and her two companions. He had seen signs that they were not far ahead as he came to a moderately sized river, and held his taiaha ready for action, hence Otaki.
A little further on, Hau stopped on the banks to say a karakia to guide him in his quest, naming the little stream Waimeha, derived from mehameha, to say an incantation. As he moved along the shoreline, he approached another stream and when he saw footprints in the wet sand he knew he was very close to catching the fugitives. He crossed cautiously, looked from side to side as he edged across the stream, giving it the name of Waikanae, the water where he looked out the corner of his eyes, like the mullet, kanae.
His vigilance was rewarded at Pukerua Bay, where he finally caught up with his wife and Kiwi and Weka. He swiftly dispatched the men but had a worse punishment in mind for his wife.
He complained to Wairaka that the journey had been very painful, saying his feet were sore and dirty. He asked her to bring him some sea water to wash them, but when she returned with water from the shore he told her it was too dirty and she should venture out further to where the water was cleaner. Wairaka complied but the water was still not clean enough for Haunui. Repeatedly she came ashore with water, but each time he sent her back, further and further out to waves, until she was so far offshore she drowned.
Haunui-a-Nanaia was still not satisfied. He used his powers as a tohunga to turn her body into stone, fixed below and above as the waiata says, and there she remains today, the rock known as Wairaka at the southern end of Pukerua Bay.
Most West Coast versions of this song have only one more name to add to the list _ Wairarapa _ but local versions of the tale give more details of Hau's travels.
One Wairarapa version of the story gives Wairaraka a similar fate, but a different location, saying she was turned into a reef off the Wairarapa coast, at what is now known as Riversdale, and given the name Motuwairaka, a name still in use among the tangata whenua of the district.
After exacting his revenge, Hau chose to return through Wairarapa. Travelling up the Hutt Valley he saw a mountain range in front of him, which he climbed and clambered until he reached the summit. He was so exhausted he had to crouch or sit down to catch his breath, so he named the mountain Remutaka, to sit down.
While he was crouched on the top of the hill he looked out over the plains and caught sight of the sun reflecting off the waters of a large lake. His eyes lit up at the sight, and he named the lake Wairarapa, after the flashes of light that made his eyes water. The ''glistening waters'' often referred to as being a translation of Wairarapa refers to Haunui's eyes rather than the waters of the lake.
Looking further north he saw a large hill in the distance, standing high above the forest in front of him. He named this Rangitumau, as it seemed to be holding up the sky.
He made his way down to the floor of the valley and, still travelling north, came across a whare thatched with nikau on the banks of a mountain-fed stream, which he named Tauwharenikau, now usually called Tauherenikau. Further on he came across a river surrounded by bush and, as he looked into its waters, he thought he could see the face of his wife Wairaka. Overcome with remorse, he cried, calling the river Wai o Hine Wairaka.
After travelling further north over the Taratahi Plain he came to a wider river, with many different courses each holding a stream, which he called Waiawangawanga, literally troubled or uncertain river, but today we call this the Waingawa.
A little further on he came to a smaller river that he could not tell the depth of, so he put his walking stick in to more accurately gauge its safety, calling it the Waipoua.
Moving on towards Rangitumau, he encountered a large river which he called Ruamahanga, although opinion is divided on why. Some say it was because the word can mean twin forks, others say it refers to a bird snare that Hau found in the forks of a tree.