This is the place

The story below, describing the naming of Otamatea, is told by James Pene in the Kaiwaka centennial booklet.  

Tamatea is better known in Hawkes Bay and Bay of Plenty by his full name Tamatea Pokaiwhenua. He came to New Zealand with his two wives, Iwipupu and Ihupara-para, in the Takitumu canoe. There is a place named after him and claimed to be the longest in the world:  Taumatawhakatangihangakoauautamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (The brow of the hill where Tamatea, who travelled all round the land, played his nose flute to his lady love).

Descendants of Tamatea Pokaiwhenua are scattered all over New Zealand.  When Tamatea came to Ranganui he found, by the sign of some footprints along the tidal creek running down from Kaiwaka, that the place was inhabited, by, he afterwards learned, Ngatiwhatua. Meanwhile Ngatiwhatua, unseen by Tamatea, were on each side and behind him. Arriving where the Ranganui railway bridge now is, Tamatea noticed he was surrounded and had no way of escape but to swim the river. This was not too good if Ngatiwhatua were over there too.

He decided to call his God Raiera to come and protect him, and the God came to him in the shape of a rock. After Tamatea had embarked on it the rock swiftly drifted to the middle of the river.  Out of curiosity, Ngatiwhatua stormed the foreshore and induced Tamatea to return ashore. Tamatea accepted the invitation and was given a great welcome at Raepare pa. Tamatea, before he returned to Hawke’s Bay, said: “In recognition of your kind hospitality I will leave my God Raiera in this river as a bridge for my descendants in days to come”. ‘Te Toka turanga Otamatea’ – ‘The rock of Otamatea’. The river was thereafter called Otamatea. 

From This Valley in the HillsCompiled by Dick Butler for the Maungaturoto Centennial Association in 1963.

Dargaville Public Library