world. The relationship between Ngāti Rārua and Parapara Peak is recognised through mihi and waiata recited by whānau living in Mōhua in the present day. 7 WEST OF SEPARATION POINT / TE MATAU Since Ngāti Rārua arrived in Te Tau Ihu, Te Matau has been a prominent headland in the lives of whānau. Linked to the creation pūrākau, it is one of a number of significant land forms originating from t he time when Aoraki and his brothers descended from the sky to explore the souther n oceans of Papatūānuku. En-route, they enraged Tawhirimatea, who crea ted a huge storm to damage their waka. In the raging seas the waka capsized, and af ter Aoraki and his brothers scrambed oto th esde o e cano e l n i fth – everything turned to stone. The ornate prow of the waka formed coastal Te Tau Ihu, including Separation Poi nt – the promontory separating Tasman Bay from Mōhua. Traditionally, Ngāti Rārua used Te Matau as a strategic landmark. Te Matau was significant as both an occupation site and as a “resting place” on the ancient coastal trail linking the two prominent bays. Wāhi tapu associated with the Point include ridge pits and a grove of Karaka trees east of the Point. The ridge pits were used by tūpuna to store food and the Karaka trees planted for their seeds, which were edible when steeped. 8 Archaeology and early historical accounts suggest extensive use and occupation of land and resources right along the coastline. Important sites included those at Tōtaranui and Wainui Bay. Therefore, Te Matau also connected significant areas of coastal occupation and associated wāhi tapu. 9 Sites such as Te Matau derive significance from the fact that they contribute to the overall picture of early life in the rohe. Te Matau remains an important geographical landform for presen t-day whānau – a physical reminder of the ancestral relationship Ngāti Rārua has with Te Tau Ihu. BULLER RIVER (NORTHERN PORTION) AND ITS TRIBUTARIES The Kawatiri or Buller River is a sacred awa to Ngāti Rārua. Ngāti Rārua associates the name of the Kawatiri River with the Ngāti Rārua chief Kawatiri who watched over the trail between Ngai Tahu and Ngāti Rārua country. Kawatiri means “deep and swift” in Māori. Oral traditions recount travel on the trail between Te Tau Ihu and Te Tai Poutini, using the Kawatiri River for a part of this journey. The route followed the Motueka River Valley before connecting with the Wairau and Waimeha/Wai-iti routes ahead of Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. From Lake Rotoiti the trail followed the Kawatiri River for some distance across flat country before following the Porika upstream over a low range of hills to Lake Rotoroa. The Kawatiri provided a natural 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. Waka were used to negotiate the waterways and therefore, the Kawatiri has traditional tauranga waka (landing sites) and camps sites along its banks. Knowledge of the lakes and river, landing sites and walking trails was essential to gain access to the densely forested inland area. The source of the Kawatiri and its upper reaches were an integral part of the seasonal traditions of Ngāti Rārua iwi. Tūpuna used this food basket to replenish supplies on journeys, and also had seasonal and semi-permanent camps in the area, as observed by Heaphy at the Porika in 1846. Tuna, whio, and other birds such as kōkako, weka and bush wren were harvested by parties crossing the hinterland area to and from northern 7Pers comm. Barney Thomas: 6September 2011 th 8H & J Mitchell, Cultural significance of Maori archaeological sites and waahi tapu in Tasman District , April 2008:56-63 9H & J Mitchell, Te Tau Ihu o te Waka, A history of Maori in Nelson and Marlborough, Volume ii: Te Ara Hou – The New Socie ty , 2007:55-60 Te Tau Ihu Statutory Acknowledgements Page 82 of 163