The blue duck or whio was common on the faster flowing waters. Ngā manu were not only important, as a source of food, but were also valued for their plumage, which was used for decorative purposes. One major birding site was located up the Motueka River at Upokororo. The Motueka headwaters can be linked to the legend of Ngahue and Poutini. 5 This pūrākau is significant as it illustrates that from the very earliest times, tribes from all over the country knew of the precious resources to be found in Te Tau Ihu. Ngahue was the atua (guardian) of pounamu (greenstone). He and his taniwha Poutini were the guardians of this taonga. A dispute between Ngahue and his adversary Hine-tū-ahoanga enta ngled their taniwha; Poutini was driven out of Hawaiki by Whatipu (the taniwha of Hin e-tū-ahoanga) and pursued to different places around New Zealand. One place Pou tini found temporary refuge was at the eastern headwaters of the Motueka River. In the upper Motueka River Valley, clusters of argillite working areas and source sites indicate the importance of this stone to tūpuna. Buried boulders, hammer stones and adzes found in the river valley illustrate the traditional stone working techniques. The Motueka River Valley provided a natural inland pathway or Ara to reach Te Tai Poutini. This pathway was a traditional greenstone trail, used by tūpuna in search of this valuable taonga and other items for trade. The route followed the Motueka River Valley, before connecting with the Wairau and Waimeha/Wai-iti routes, ahead of Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. Waka were used to negotiate the waterways, therefore the Motueka River has many traditional tauranga waka (landing sites) and camps sites, which were used for fishing along its banks. The significance of the Motueka River to Ngāti Rārua is illustrated in the carvings in the main whare at Te Āwhina Marae in Motueka. The river is also recognised in the pepehā of Motueka whānau, “Ko Motueka te awa, Ngāti Rārua te iwi…”. RIUWAKA RIVER, AND RESURGENCE, AND ITS TRIBUTARIES The Riuwaka River is a taonga to Ngāti Rārua. Traditionally named the Riuwaka River, ‘riu’ meaning basin, the name is a reference to the puna or pool where the river emerges from the ground. There are a series of pools below the resurgence. Each pool had a specific cu ltural purpose for the i wi. Te Puna o Riuwaka h as special mana or status, because of the springs of “ wai ora” or “the waters of life” here. For generations, Ngāti Rārua whānau have come to th healing, following the e pools for cleansing and footsteps of their tūpuna. The whole area associated with this awa is one of the most sacred sites in Tasman Bay. The Riuwaka has sustained ngā iwi spiritually and has always been regarded with awe. The protection of the river’s mauri and wairua are therefore integral to the spiritual and cultural well-being of Ngāti Rārua. After heavy rains, water would fall through the marble/karst landscape of the Takaka Hill and pour out from the Riuwaka Resurgence. The roaring sound made by the water was attributed to the roaring of the taniwha associated with the Takaka Hill and caves below. Traditionally, the Takaka hill was also regarded a s a super-natural place; a place greatly respected and feared. The coastline stretching from Puketāwhai northwards was believed to be home of the Patu-paiarehe or fairy folk and kēhua (ghosts). Local Māori particularly feared the limestone rocks and bluffs at Puketāwhai, as some had the appearance of skulls. Oral traditions identify the Riuwaka River mouth as the resting place of Hui Te Rangiora, an explorer who travelled to the shores of New Zealand before the waves of Polynesian migration. It is recounted that Hui Te Rangiora stopped to repair his waka and heal himself with the sacred waters of the Riuwaka River. This tradition is depicted in the carving at the top of the meeting house at Te Āwhina Marae. The whare tūpuna called Tūrangapeke is a tekoteko of Hui Te Rangiora looking out for land. At the entrance to 5The oral traditions refer specifically to the Motueka headwaters: See H & J Mitchell A history of Nelson and Marlborough Volume 1: Te Tangata me Te Whenua (2004 ). Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 77 of 163