TAUPO-NUI-A-TIA

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 32, 20 August 1952, Page 1

TAUPO-NUI-A-TIA

TALES OF THE TAUPO COUNTRY

(By

R.H.

W.)

The story of Hinemoa, and how she swam across Lake Rotorua to her lover Tutanekai on Mokoia Is*and, is known to most of us. The story of another Maori heroine of olden days, who swam a greater distance across Lake Taupo under more difficult circumstances, is not so well known. The southern point of Jerusalem Bay, near Taupo, is a rounded headland, girt round with a rocky scarp on north and east, and known as Ponui. Across the southern end of the summit of Ponui a great ditch may be seen to this day, dug by the people who once took advantage of its nacural defences and turned the headland into a iortified pa. The northern end of the pa was secured by the rocky scarp, immediately above the end of the present road to Jerusalem Bay, and both scarp and ditch were topped by defensive palisades. About two hundred and twentyfive years ago there lived at Ponui a young woman named Rau-whato, -whose husband was Turiroa, a descendant of Tuwharetoa, from whom the Ngati-Tuwharetoa tribe is named. One day the peace of the Taupo cofntry was broken by the coming of a raiding party from the Waikato, men of Ngato-Raukawa led by a chief named Whiti-patato, a man-slaying expedition intent • on venging, in accord with • ancient eustom, the death of a certain chief. The defences of Ponui were earefully reeonnoitred from the higher ground overlooking the pa, without befraying to the people of the pa the presence of their enemies. X'hen, as darkness came down, the raiders rushfed the defence of the pa, and the people, all unprepared for the savage onslaught, were overwhelmed, most of the men killed, and the women and children captured, •sueh of, them as did not fall to the e!ub and spear of the taua. But Rau-whato and Turiroa, with their only ehild, an infant son, managed to escape the raiders, and found their way to a shallow cave near the pcunt. But well did Turiroa know that they had earned only a tempwary respite, and that ' the war partj* was scouting round the pa, savagely searching every nook and eramiy for fugitives. He knew too that there was but one hope for Wlfe and son. Rau-whato was young and strong, and renowned as a swimmer. She must take the c-ttild and swim across the Lake to ner mother's home in the pa known as le Tara-o-te-Marama, on the eastern shore. Quickly was Rauwhato « waistmat folded and tied npon her shoulders as a pillow on w nien the child's head could rest above the water, and a belt of flax iastened round the boy and under hushxnH !, aTS' Quick'y did husband and wife take their last aiewell Then Rauwhato stepped InTli-ft1 i°m the Shelter of the cave and swiftly entered the water. As ^ leaehed her breast she began to T int? the dark water,? on «d on toward the eastern shore. As the S rfrcued a karakia to endurrnit' & prayer f>!' rtrength, and endmance agamst the cold. For Tun-roa thoro W'fntf i n° escape. WnTi-patato, leader of the raiders stone patu in hand, came to the v® and shouted for fei? %I.SL ♦! COHIC1 fnrfl-i t • victini to mth the cairn of°a ^cceptcd his ^ calm of a brave facing the

inevitable. He asked whose war party it was and on being told that it was there to avenge the death of a certain chief he replied that it was a just cause, and bowed 'his head for the fatal hlow. And at last Rau-wiiato came to the far shore, drew herself out of the water, rubbed the cold body of the little child and then set out along the beach and up to the pa of Te Tara-o-te-Marama, where dwelt her mother, Hine-Kaharoa. Later, the little boy was named Te Urunga, meaning "The Pi!low,,, in memory of his mother's swim for life. For it was the flax waist-mat of Rauwhato, fastened as a pillow on her shoulders, on which he was borne to safety through the dark cold waters of Taupo-moan*v