he kainga hou
a new home
our tuupuna arrived in aotearoa and surveyed the land
Stories tell of kaitiaki, sometimes in the form of taniwha or other creatures, that led our tuupuna and protected this harbour.
Many times, these creatures would bring prosperity and protection to the Manukau Harbour while other times their presence became a burden, and these stories are still told to this day.
Harbours, like The Manukau, were an abundant source of kaimoana - sea food, and kaitiaki played an important part in protecting these resources. The streams, like the Puhinui, which flowed into the harbour were full of eels, and our tuupuna gathered cockles, and pipi in the shallow waters at low tide. They would catch flounder and mullet, and dried shark was a delicacy for those living around the harbour.
Our knowledge and histories stay with us in the form of stories, song and names. Some tell the story of the elder Hape, who would stand on the peninsula and karanga - or call - to his kin arriving on the Tainua waka.
And this is where Karangahape road gets it's name.
