Wairewa Research Project - History of Wairewa

According to Wairewa traditions Rākaihautū was the captain of Te Waka Uruao and brought the Waitaha, the first peoples to light the fires of occupation on Te Wai Pounamu. Rākaihautū is credited with creating a more liveable landscape for those that were to follow by carving out the great lakes and breathing life into the new land. He completed his work on the Banks Peninsula with two Lakes, Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere and Te Roto o Wairewa/Lake Forsyth. Overwhelmed by the magnificence of his artistic endeavours Rākaihautū decided to stay driving his digging stick deep into the ground above Akaroa where it became Tuhiraki (Mt Bossu). As a testament to his work and in recognition of the abundance and variety of food and other resources found on the Peninsula up until quite recently, the people named the area Te Pātāka o Rākaihautu or the great food storage house of Rākaihautū.