WHANGARA.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10473, 31 December 1927, Page 6 (Supplement)

WHANGARA.

H 1 STOR.IC ASSOCIATIONS.

[Specially Written lor the ‘ Gisborne Times’’ bv E. J. Smith.)

The hoi dry atmosphere of Life town compelled our thoughts in me d rectum of some spot where sluices and quietness would have a chance to v.o.k out their beneficent offices. We settled on a visit to A\ hangsra. To reach our destination, it took exactly three-quarters of an hour. Leaving Gisborne at 10.30, we bowled along the wide dusty Wainui Road. By the way, i wonder that no one has taken steps to convert that road into a pleasant avenue. A row oi trees on either side of the road, and with vhe beach with its high sea at the further end, would make it an ideal drive. Proceeding to \\ hangara tlie traveller hugs the coast as much as possible. How blue is the sea! Pure extra ultramarine, without the least sensation of purple or green. The day we drove along Nature had gone out of her way to centre the mil force cf her. glory on the sea. Above, the space was one uninterrupted gray, while the fawn lulls and sandy banks furnished the piiture with'the necessary minor-tones. At Whangara proper, the road takes a sharp turn to the right, and, for a distance, runs along the bank oi •in old creek that pathetically sports its pristine energy by paving its bed with bleached and thirsty drift-wood. The car crawls no a gentle incline. Nestling within tlie crank of the elbow and almost beneath our feet is the little coastal settlement, with its triple hill island. Opposite and across the Ray are the white cl.li's ut Gable End F;;, eland and the perfect pyramidic lighthouse island. Noting a <-!r.:n;> of trees in the distance. we uia i“ for the spot and the order of the tk-.v was bathing and siting and roaming: and roaming and eating and bathing again. For myself, 1 have formed a habit of wandering off on my own, and strolling down to the beach, I made for the dark rocks spread out bcncata the feet of the Foreland cliffs. These were intensely happy moments. A moving speck appeared in the distance, growing larger and taking form. A man, a gig and a horse. “Where are. you going ?” was the question asked. The voice was kind

and the smile full of friendly concern. ‘*l am a wanderer,” i replied. ‘‘Won’t you ecnio down and introduce one lo the spirit of this wonderful place?” He came, and these are the stories he told.

PARI-NUr—TE—BA.

‘‘That is the cliff of the sun,” he said, pointing to Gable End Foreland. ‘‘lt is the watch tower, the sun dial of our days, and the calendar of seasons. The moonlight dances on the cliffs and turns its pale face into a thousand living beauties. Do you see those men out there on the rocks? They are capturing our commissariat. To-mornnv wo will eat and the next day we will barter for clothing and more food.” We turned and walked along the wet sand. ‘‘The scene is placid now.” remarked the wise man, ‘‘hut it has not always been so. I have seen those waters dvod purple with the blood of slaughtered whales: and many, many times out there near lowwater mark Were anchored by their huge tails the white-bellied carcases waiting to he beached by the full tide.” After a short silence, the old man continued: •‘We are walking on fine sand that comes from inland; further along the sand is coarse and dark; ihat is the scouring from those rough rocks in the distance. Those rocks contain * specimens or quart*. Embedded in t the larger rocks are some very hard stones: second-class axes were made p from thorn, s ’, if mhi pay attention. you will not!"'- numberless smooth" holes with seme of these hard round 11

stones at the bottom. The swirl of tlie sea with the iieqi oi these hard, smooth stones beat the holes into cauldrons, and troughs, and all shades. We hud our first lesson in carving from the sea." By this time we had or me in direct line with the triple-bill island, the narrow neck of land that joined it to the mainland. I ment'oned the "tapir’ story and related how ;i friend of mine had drawn for me vivid picture.- of piles of dry 'human hones scattered all along the bench. A sly twinkle gleamed in the solemn eyes. “You have your burial grounds,” ho tensely remarked, and the .-object dropped with characteristic Native intelligence.

„ THE STORY OF THE TKiPbE lIILL ISLAND AND ITS TAIL.

“But I w.ll tell you the story of the triple-hill island and its tail,” concluded the mutualise end histor-

“My words shall he few; yonder is my 'home and my people wait. During tin* very early times, before the King of file Sea had thrust the water across the laud and divided tli* people of the North from those of tlio South, two great sp’rits met on the highest- peak of the Kmuitaka Ranges.

•‘Bongo Kaka was a quiet and silent sp iMi. lut Kongo Watauga was: in eve v sens ' the opposite. ••{Jni* day, Kongo Kaka got sick of ! Jloii-o 9.Tanga's • eternal boasting.. Spirits very like human beings; ail the" W " h! over, so these two spirits made a v.ag.r. They were to SCO* who would get to Hauraki first and’ the prize -as the guardianship of all. the lard to tl'.c North. “Both started from scratch. One? was to taka the East road and onethe West, and Kongo Kahn’s lot lelb o*l tho East. “Bonn, Mntanga started off in’ great stvie, but he was ignorant ofe the fact that, while he was busy mesmerising the humans. Bongo Kakahad employed his time in stepping out tho distance between the earth and Ki ..the sun). Consequently, Kongo, Kaka .was very fit. “One mighty step landed Kaka ini Hawke’s Bay and the weight of his; body made the fine depression wherethe Waiptikurau lake now is. The second stop struck tho ridges of Ma—tauri Maui (Cape Kidnappers). Wangav/ae cherishes the imprint of Kongo Kaka s third step, which imprint, may bo seen on the papa rocks there. The fourth step forced flat the moist sand and rocks at the southern edgeof Whangara. “So now we know why tho sea at high tide covers Hie neck of land and tiie ti-ipic.iiill island' remains for the--T' -i!’ : :- I t o? the time isolated! JncM- ei- !’■ r mi-ht mention that Kongo Kaka won the prize.” tf J*"- amazing, here among tho rocks nt random known” with themlsc <V t'(l* heating tbroueb every ■amm: n d-tail. the everlasting Rl,>> I'm mores on, moves and has 7t«. icing.