PLACE NAMES

Southland Times, Issue 21337, 7 March 1931, Page 11

PLACE NAMES

ADDITIONAL FACTS

(By

Rambler.)

(Continued from last Week).

A peculiar legend existed amongst the southern Maoris concerning a strange race said to live in the forest between Waikawa and Chaslands. Why this story should have found its way into Maori legend is not known, but some of the Maoris who lived on the coast in the days of the early whalers and sealers are said to have claimed to have seen wild men in this forest. The fact that moa' bones have been found in considerable quantities on that coast, and especially about the Sixmile Beach, may account for the legend. It is easy to understand that the Maoris might mistake the last of the moas for giant men if they had not previously seen such strange birds. The fact that one of the old time Maoris de scribed one of these strange men as "the most fearsome wildfowl he had ever seen” would appear to indicate that he was trying to convey to his hearers that the strange being was in the form of a bird. Maori legend was rich in stories similar to the stories of fairies and giants of the northern hemisphere, but the legend of the Tautuku forest does not quite come into the same category. The beings said to live in this forest were certainly described as great hairy giants, but they were spoken of as having been seen by the Maoris describing them and not. as beings known only through legends. The imperfect descriptions of. these giants might easily be a terrified native’s description of a moa.

The Maoris called these giants Miromiro and an old native, who claimed to have seen one when he was a little boy, described it to Dr D. Munro prior to 1844. The giant’s body was covered with long, coarse hair, which flowed down from the back of his head to his heels. Apart from saying that its forehead was bald this native could only be understood to say that it was the most fearsome wildfowl he bad ever seen. The Miromiro, or as Dr Monro calls them, the Mairore, were also said to be very cunning and mischievous, and addicted to running off with young people and damsels.

It may not be generally known but Waikawa was surveyed as the site of a town the sections there were first offered for sale on March 25, 1872. Several were taken up then or later but the expected progress of the town did not materialize and even some of the residents have forgotten that the streets of Waikawa are named. River Street should have run parallel with the Waikawa river after it passes the Government wharf, but it was never formed. Antrim Street is now the main road through Waikawa and of Castle, Mena, Lough and Mill streets only two have been formed. Carrickfergus Street is also but a name on the map, but it should have fun parallel with Antrim Street on the higher ground behind the present settlement. Waikawa is now best known as the settlement nearest Curio Bay, where a prehistoric forest may be seen in the stone of the shore. It is interesting to note that a Geological Report of 1887 transferred this forest to Waipapa Point, about 13 miles away. Waipapa Point is a place aboqt which there appears to be some doubt, as far as its name is concerned at least. It appears on the maps as Waipapa Point and consequently that can be taken as its name for the future, but some authorities claim that the correct name is Waipapapa. Waipapa means flat water while Waipapapa means a calabash in the water, and as it happens both names might easily be applied to the district. One old map has the names Waipapapa Point and Waipapa Creek and that was probably the correct names. Waipapa Point, to give it its modern name, proved dangerous to those who go down to. the sea in ships as long ago as in 1843, a vessel called “Lunar” (Captain Morgan) being wrecked on the reef off the point during that year. Morgan salved some of his cargo and took it and his crew to Ruapuke Island in the vessel’s boats. The wreck occured on a fine clear night and it was claimed by some that Morgan and his crew were drunk, ar-l the fact that they took at least one cask of rum to Ruapuke gave colour to that story. When they landed at the island they celebrated their safe arrival on the beach and got into a hopeless state. Tuhawaiki (Bloody Jack) sent his bodyguard to arrest the sailors but they were too far gone to move and the bodyguard waited for them to sober up, but while they were waiting they quenched their thirst with the rum, with the result that they changed places with the men they had been sent to arrest. The Waipapa Point again claimed a victim on April 30, 1881, when the steamer Tararua (Two points) struck the reef in hazy weather with 120 souls on board. The steamer broke in two and only 20 survivors reached the shore. The 100 drowned were buried in a plot of ground between the point and the Otara settlement. The name Otara may be translated into “place of the point,” “place of the Tern bird,” or ‘‘Mr Tara’s place."