The Book
For this project I incorporated the sparkle of the mineral rich ground with the damp texture of the bush. Distinct line work emphasizes the juxtaposition of lush and craggy slopes with the reflective waters below.
Kā Roimata o Hinehukatere
Produced By Hana Ltd for the
Ministry of Education New Zealand
Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa
Kā Roimata
o Hinehukatere
Hinehukatere is a courageous and adventurous Māori adventurer. In summer she climbs the surrounding mountains with her pounamu (greenstone) adze. In the winter, she spends time in the lowlands with her lover. Together they snare birds and catch fish. When Wawe follows her up Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, he tragically falls to his death. Hinehukatere's tears become the glacier known today as
Franz Josef Glacier in Westland New Zealand -Tai Poutini National Park.
In Maori:
Kā Roimata o Hinehukatere
This is the legend
The Tears of Hinehukatere
Mahitahi
A coastal settlement on the banks of the Mahitahi River and home to Te Tauraka Waka a Māui Marae, we were an hour from the Glacier. At Mahitahi-Bruce Bay, Hana and I were unusually quiet. This place has a beauty that is defiant and magical and free. We walked its wild edge with its panoramic views of mountain and sea and native trees. Rimu lean at the sea like a Jurassic wall . I was waiting for the Taniwha to appear! Legend has it that this is the green that Māui first saw. All the way from Hawaiki, he landed his waka here.
Kā Tiritiri o te Moana
Known as the Southern Alps
were not the tips of the sea after all.
Te Tauraka Waka a Māui Marae-'The Landing Place of Māui's waka.'
Te Tauraka Waka a Māui Marae
On the Marae we listened to Waiata (song) and Pūrākau (stories) that connect people with ancestor, land and mana - Whakapapa. We learnt about Hinehukatere and her mountains.
Looking at the Tukutuku panels and carvings inside the wharenui-Kaipo, I was immediately inspired.
After kai, I walked on the beach over translucent green Garnet, smooth white Quartz pebbles and black crystaline Ilemenite that sparkled against roaring seafoam.
Fallen Rimu needles and moss sweeten the air under these Southern Alps. Looking up to the distant snow covered peaks, I realised, this was a story of transformation. Hinehukatere's tears had changed the landscape she loved so much, forever.
This story has passed via oral tradition, originating from the area of the Greenstone waters - Te Wāhipounamu
-a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the West Coast of Aotearoa (New Zealand). This is the home of Ngāi Tahu iwi-The largest tribe-of the South Island.
Produced By Hana Ltd for the
Ministry of Education New Zealand
Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa
