Ka tae te kōrero ki te iwi o Tangaroa-a-Mihi he mōhio pū nō te ngakau he mea patua tana mōkai e ngā uri o Ngāti Tamaihutoroa ngā uri o Tūhoromatakaka. Ka whakamanangia tōnawhakapae e ngā karere, ka whakaara e ia he mātua ngaki utu.
Koia tēnei pea ko te rautaki kua roa ngā uri o Ngāti Tama e pirangitia, kia riria ngā uri o Marupunganui kia mā te whenua i a rātou.
Kai tētehi atu kōrero e mea nei ko te take o te patunga o Kataore e ngā uri o Ngāti Tama he ngaki utu mō te patunga o te hoa wahine, wahine makau o Reretoi e Tangaroa-a-Mihi, tāria te roanga ake o tēnei kōrero, kia hoki ai tātou ki te pūrākau, ngarungaru ana te whenua, ka ngaoko te tangata auahi ana te paoa ka kai te rangi ka rere a Marutewhareaitu māna ngā ariki e waha ki te pō oti atu.
E mea ana ngā kōrero e kaha te toatanga o Tangaroa-a-Mihi te amokura nui o ngā uri o Tu-a-Rotoura, e kakari ana, ka werongia tōna tupapaku, e tuturi ana ka ngāwhāngia te mahunga ka hinga ki raro, koia tētehi o ngā rangatira hikuroa i riro atu i te au kume ki te Hāwaiki o ōna tupuna.
Ka oma ngā mōrehu ki ngā pā tūwatawata huihui ai. Ka tukua ngā karere ki ngā wuri o Rangitihi whakahirahira ka ora pea ngā uri o Tu-a-Rotorua i a rātou. E rūnanga ana ngā tangata, ka whakangawaringia ai te ngākau o te whare tapu o Rangitihi ki te tangi o ngā uri i patua. Whakaaengia rawatia te tono a te iwi nei. Ka tere te mātua.
Ko ngā rangatira nānā tēnei ope tauā i arahi ko Ihu me Rongomai, ara anō hoki ko ētehi whoi anō nā ēnei tokorua ka tokotini te tokomaha o te tauā.
Aonga ake te rā ka kawea te riri e ngā toa, tai nunumi, tai pari, ka mate he tangata, ka hinga he toa, he rangatira katoa ngā ika. Ko Reretoi te ika a Ihu, ka mutu ana te riri ka hoki ngā toa ki ngā pā. He tiaki i ngā taotū, he whakakaha anō te iwi ki ngā kōrero rangatira kia māia ai ngā ngākau.
He ata tōmairangi ka tū anō ai ngā rākau o ngā ope, ka maranga te tokomaha o Tu-a-Rotorua me ngā kākākura tokorua a Ihu me Rongomai.
E tika ana te kōrero e mea ana koina anō ko te mahi a te koingo ehara me te harapaki kutu, ka hinga anō he ika nā Ihu ko Purahokura.
Nā te tokomaha o ngā ika he rite ki te rāngai inanga pae ki uta ka ingoangia te pakanga ko Te Waiwhitiinanga, kai te kitea tonutia tēnei wāhi ināianei kai te tai tonga ki tua o te hoanga te kauanga e takoto ana. Kāti.
Kua hemo anō ngā uri Ngāti Tamaihutoroa ko te hinganga tuarua tēnei ka toko ake te whakaaro ki a heke rātou ka māhue a Te Pukeroa i a rātou e ai ki ngā kaumātua ka tae atu ki ngā mānia e takoto kau i ngā rekereke o Pihanga, kātahi ka haere te hūnuku nei ki Taupō.
Nā te patunga o Kataore i whakahuri ai te takotoranga whenua i Te Waiariki , ae ka nui ngā tupapaku, ka rahi ngā tangata i mate engari he rangatira katoa.
Ko te numanga o Ngāti Tamaihutoroa i te takere waka o te waiariki ka ngaro atu tēnei iwi ki ngā parepare o Tongariro māunga ki reira rātou noho atu ai.
Whoi anō ko Kataore te whakamutunga o ngā taniwha o Te Arawa i patua e ngā uri o Ngāti Tama. Ka riro a Hotupuku, nā wai rā a Pekehaua katoa ēnei ki te ana korukoru o Punga.
Te Waiwhitiinanga. Whakaahua / Raimona Inia
Kataore was dead.
When this news reached Tangaroa-a-Mihi, he knew in his heart that this was the action of the Ngāti Tama people. And when it was confirmed, with his people, he decided to retaliate.
It was clear that this action attempted to draw the Ngati Tama and Tangaroa-a-Mihi into conflict and the result was successful. There was also a possibility that the case of this action lay with the killing of the future wife of Reretoi, but again, that in itself is another story.
It was not long before war fell upon these tribes of which the chief Tangaroa-a-Mihi, though fighting bravely, was overcome by death. The defeated war party withdrew with their deceased and promptly sought allies.
They travelled to the descendants of Rangitihi, who took pity for their relations and consented to their plea for fighting men.
Under their chiefs, Ihu and Rongomai, the numbers of the Tu-a-Rotorua tribesman were strengthened. On the following day, combat recommenced; after a great struggle, many leaders lay strewn on the battlefield; amongst them was Reretoi killed by the warrior chief Ihu.
All decided that there would be no more fighting for the day and as the deceased and wounded were collected, the leaders readied themselves for what could be their last fight.
The Ngāti Tama warriors moved out onto the battlefield with the morning dew, prepared to meet the combined forces of Tu-a-Rotorua and the fighters of Ihu and Rongomai. The old warriors displayed a great test of endurance and skill here; the chief Purahokura was killed, struck down by Ihu.
This battle is known today still as Te Waiwhitiinanga. It was said that the amount of dead and dying covered such an area that they resembled inanga that was cast on the shore; the exact spot where this happened today can still be seen south of te hoanga te kauanga site.
With the arrival of Pākehā to the area the site was transformed into a bathing site and called The Postmasters Bath.
Suffering from two massive defeats, the Ngāti Tama returned to Te Pukeroa and decided to migrate. And so began the exodus of Ngāti Tama from Te Pukeroa; they travelled and resided at Kakepuku for a year before moving back towards Taupō.
The death of Kataore was pivotal in re-shaping the tribal landscape of the area that unfortunately led to the loss of many great people.
It saw the departure of the descendants of Tamaihutoroa from the region and their relocation in the south. Kataore was the last of the three taniwha of the region to be killed.
