Kuirau and the Taniwha
The gods were so angry they made the water boil.
At Kuirau Park in Rotorua can be found a remarkable assortment of steaming thermal activity, including a large extremely hot pool amidst tea-tree and swirls of steam - Kuirau Pool - named after a Maori woman who had a most unfortunate experience with a taniwha (water-monster).
Long before the coming of the white man the pool was known as Tawakahu. At that time its temperature was perfect for bathing, and successive chiefs reserved the water for the use of themselves and their families. Possession of the pool eventually passed to Tamahika who reserved the waters for the private use his very beautiful young wife Kuirau.
Kuirau swam naked in the comforting waters every morning and evening, unseen by human eyes. However she was constantly watched from the deep bottom of the pool by a vicious taniwha. This evil monster was afraid of man only emerging on the darkest nights to creep unseen about the land snapping up unwary travellers, dogs, rats and birds - devouring them with relish.
Hidden deep within the lake, the baleful eyes of the taniwha followed the beautiful young Kuirau swimming regularly above him. For weeks he stalked her from beneath the cloudy waters, wary, hesitant, but with an ever-growing obsession to possess her.
One quiet evening while Kuirau was lazily floating on the peaceful surface, the taniwha became so overwhelmed by his desire, that he overcame his caution - and struck: rising with a rush to the surface he seized Kuirau with his immense talons and dragged her down to his cave at the bottom of the lake.
The terrified girl could neither scream nor struggle. Mercifully her end was quick - the legend says that just as she was being forced into the taniwha's lair she died of fright.
The old story relates that the episode had been seen by the Maori gods of the place, who were so angry at the treatment of Kuirau by the taniwha that they caused the lake to boil furiously - destroying the taniwha for ever and ensuring that another could never inhabit the same place.
At Kuirau Park in Rotorua can be found a remarkable assortment of steaming thermal activity, including a large extremely hot pool amidst tea-tree and swirls of steam - Kuirau Pool - named after a Maori woman who had a most unfortunate experience with a taniwha (water-monster).
Long before the coming of the white man the pool was known as Tawakahu. At that time its temperature was perfect for bathing, and successive chiefs reserved the water for the use of themselves and their families. Possession of the pool eventually passed to Tamahika who reserved the waters for the private use his very beautiful young wife Kuirau.
Kuirau swam naked in the comforting waters every morning and evening, unseen by human eyes. However she was constantly watched from the deep bottom of the pool by a vicious taniwha. This evil monster was afraid of man only emerging on the darkest nights to creep unseen about the land snapping up unwary travellers, dogs, rats and birds - devouring them with relish.
Hidden deep within the lake, the baleful eyes of the taniwha followed the beautiful young Kuirau swimming regularly above him. For weeks he stalked her from beneath the cloudy waters, wary, hesitant, but with an ever-growing obsession to possess her.
One quiet evening while Kuirau was lazily floating on the peaceful surface, the taniwha became so overwhelmed by his desire, that he overcame his caution - and struck: rising with a rush to the surface he seized Kuirau with his immense talons and dragged her down to his cave at the bottom of the lake.
The terrified girl could neither scream nor struggle. Mercifully her end was quick - the legend says that just as she was being forced into the taniwha's lair she died of fright.
The old story relates that the episode had been seen by the Maori gods of the place, who were so angry at the treatment of Kuirau by the taniwha that they caused the lake to boil furiously - destroying the taniwha for ever and ensuring that another could never inhabit the same place.
Today the waters remain too hot to bathe, and as a tribute to the unfortunate Kuirau the lake is known by her name - the name now given to the whole park.
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