The Discovery and Naming of Rotorua

It began in Hawaiiki with a man called Tamatekapua and his dog Potakatawhiti. Potakatawhiti was killed, cooked and eaten by a tohunga. This incident led to a series of events that led Tamatekapua and others to leave Hawaiiki and start a voyage of discovery. Two waka (large sailing vessels) set off. One waka was called Te Arawa and captained by Tamatekapua and the other waka was called Tainui and captained by Hotunui. This account is about the Te Arawa waka.

The Te Arawa waka made landfall at Maketu and Tamatekapua claimed the land from the Coromandel Peninsula to south of Maketu. A number of people moved from Maketu to other places; north to Tauranga, south to Whakatane and inland to the Rotorua District. Tamatekapua eventually settled in the Coromandel Peninsula.

An anchor stone prop similar to one used by ancient waka
Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa 

The Rotorua District was discovered by a young man named Ihenga who travelled a lot. While exploring the forest inland from Maketu for delicacies for his pregnant wife, his dog who had run ahead of him, returned sick. The dog lay down and vomited up some fish. Ihenga realised that water wasn’t far away. On his next trip, Ihenga explored further inland and discovered two lakes. He named the two lakes Te-Rotowhaiti-kite-a-Ihenga (the narrow lake seen by Ihenga), now known as Lake Rotoiti. The other lake he named Te-Rotorua-nui-a-kahu (the large basin like lake of kahu – meaning kahumatamomoe), now known as Lake Rotorua.

Five generations passed when a descendant of Tamatekapua, Rangitihi, expanded the territories once more. Rangitihi was a mighty warrior. During one particular battle Rangitihi was injured. He had a serious head injury. Don Stafford’s (1986) account of this event described Rangitihi’s injury as his, “head was split asunder from top to bottom”.  Rangitihi told one of his men to cut a length of the akatea vine and to bring it to him. Rangitihi used this to bind his wound so that he could go back to the battle and fight with his men. He won this battle. This event earned him the name, Rangitihi-te-upoko-i-takaia-ki-te-akatea (Rangitihi whose head was bound with the Akatea). Rangitihi achieved great things during his lifetime. He was a father of eight children who individually became important ancestors of the hapū (sub-tribes) of Te Arawa. The Arawa people today are often referred to as, Nga Pumanawa e waru (the eight great strengths of Rangitihi).

Looking down on Pakotore pa – Paengaroa, Circa 1970, photographer John Johns (b.1924, d.1999)

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (OP-2646)

It was during Rangitihi’s time that the first major exodus from Maketu began. The remains of three pa sites (Pakotore, Matapara and Te Hoe a Taunga) can be seen today, close to the Rotorua to Te Puke highway.

Tuahu [Altar] of Rangitihi, circa 1965, photographer Don Stafford (b.1927, d.2010)

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (OP-3433)

Rangitihi and his family spread inland to Rotorua and eventually occupied a fortified village near the Ohau channel called Rangiwhakakapua. Collectively, Rangitihi and his sons occupied all of the land in Rotorua and beyond except, Te Motutapu-a-Tinirau (Mokoia Island).

First fosse of Paengaroa pa, Matapara., Circa 1958, photographer Don Stafford (b.1927, d.2010)

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (OP-3435a)

Mokoia Island was occupied by the descendants of Ika, an original crew member of Te Arawa. One of Rangitihi’s sons, Rangiwhakaekeau, visited the village of Te Teko. He fell in love with a beautiful woman named Uenukurauiri who returned his feelings. When Rangiwhakaekeau left to return to Rotorua he said to Uenukurauiri, ‘if our child is a girl name her after the current in the Rangitaiki river and if the child is a boy name him after the clouds which drift in the sky’ (Don Stafford, 1986). During the birth of Uenukurauiri’s baby, she was in labour for a long time. Wanting the pain to stop she asked the tohunga to recite the genealogy of Rangiwhakaekeau. Shortly after a baby boy was born. She named him Rangiteaorere (born of the drifting cloud).

Te Hoe a Taunga Pa, Circa 1958, photographer Don Stafford (b.1927, d.2010)

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa (OP-3434b)

Rangiteaorere grew to become a respected and powerful warrior. When he was a young man he visited his father at Rangiwhakakapua marae at Mourea and stayed. He eventually raised an army and led them across to Mokoia Island which they successfully attacked and occupied. Now the whole of the Rotorua district was occupied by Rangitihi’s descendants.

This post is written by Ani Sharland with thanks to Don Stafford's Research Notes and objects & photographs from Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa