MAORI PLACE NAMES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 115, 17 May 1934, Page 21

MAORI PLACE NAMES.

Mispronunciation of Maori place names is certainly one of our outstanding weaknesses, but to some degree i is "excusable. No defence, however, can be offered for the deliberate misplacing of some of our native names. Down in the southern end of the King Countiy wo have some glaring instances of the latter offence, that is, if the statements of some of our oldest Maoris are to be accepted. The township of Kaetilii is a notorious example, this particular areahaving been rohbed of its original name, Waimarino. The name Jlaefcilii ixeloiigs to a piece of hill and bush country on the eastern side of the railway at Oliakune. For some reason unknown to Main Trunk settlers the name Waimarino for many years decorated that area around the railway station now known as National Park. Conversing recently with, an old nativ-e who assisted Mr. lj* Cussen in his survey work on Mount Ruapehu back in 1887 or thereabouts, I o-athered some interesting information, which, although perhaps known to many, will bear further ventilation. Kawana stated that in, bestowing the name Kuapehu on the big ice-covered lump the right thing' lias not been done. He avers that the mountain is divided from north to south by An imaginary line, and that one half carries the name Euapehu, whilst the other is known as Paretetaitonga. The one half carries the peaks Te Heu Hou Paretetaitonga and Te Aatahua, the other portion being adorned with the peaks known as ftiugatoto, Tahurangi and Girdlestone. Originally the southern peak, which today is known as Girdlestone, was christened Paretetaitonga, meaning a wallor parapet on the southern side. Today the main western peak possesses this name, something that lovers of the old mountain are at a loss to understand. This, in my opinion, is a had example of pakeha interference, and a day must come when this matter will have to he adjusted. If someone must dabble in these things and have an outlet for his or her powers of reconstruction, I would venture a At the present time inside the National Park boundary there are three streams, all bearing the name Matahikatoa; one rises near Ngauruhoe and runs westerly to Whakapapanui, another rises in the foothills of Tongariro and empties into the Tongariro stream, whilst Matahikatoa the third rises on Ruapehu . and links up with the Wangaehu running south. There may be some particular feature about these three, streams entitling them to this beautiful name, but to say the least of it, in such a email area it is confusing. In this case some alteration in names seems necessary, and would, I think, be by the maiority of those interested in the park. PAKEHA.