Ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei 

If we must bow our heads, let it be to Aoraki, the loftiest mountain.

Rakanui and Pokohaurua-Te-Po had four sons. Their names were Aoraki, Rakirua, Rakairoa and Rarakiroa. Rakanui had a new relationship with Papatūānuku. After Rakinui and Papatūānuku separated, Rakanui formed the sky and Papatūānuku became the earth. Aoraki and his brothers wanted to visit her. 

Just when they decided to return home, there was a big storm and the three younger brothers felt scared. Aoraki said that he would take action. He stood up in the waka and said a karakia but was distracted by his brothers cries, causing the waka to crash.

The waka fell back into the sea. When it landed the west was sitting higher than the east. The ihu (nose) of the waka was shattered and became known as Tōtaranui (Marlborough Sounds). The taurapa (stern) became Motupōhue (Bluff Hills). The waka is now known as Te Waka o Aotearoa (the South Island).

As the waka capsized, the brother climbed on top of the waka (canoe). Fiercely cold strong winds eventually turned the four brothers to stone. The four brothers are now Kā Tiritiri o Te Moana (Southern Alps), the highest points in New Zealand. The eldest son, Aoraki towers over Rakirua, Rakairoa and Rararakiroa.

After a while Rakinui was wondering where his sons were. So Tūterakiwhanoa, one of Aoraki’s mokupuna (grand kids) went looking for him. He found the crashed waka and realised something had happened. 

Tūterakiwhanoa raked aside the rubble that was leftover from carving the mountains, creating two maunga (mountains) - Paparoa and Kaiata. After he did this he realised that the water couldn't get through the stone. He sat on the mountain gorge and wriggled his kūhā (thigh), and made a gap where the awa (water) could flow through freely. 

Tuterakiwhanoa finally found his pōua (grandfather) and was filled with grief. His roimata (tears) made a lot of large and fast awa in the South Island.

Tūterakiwhanoa worked hard to create a beautiful piece of land in Te Rua o te Moko (Fiordland). It was so beautiful that Hinenuitepō got worried that no one would want to come to the underworld, so she released namunamu (sandflies), waeroa (mosquito) and puruhi (flea) so that people wanted to go to the underworld. 

Retold by Kōtare 2025

Te Waka o Aoraki Google Earth