The history of Motuopuhi Island, according to Maori legend...
Many years ago Motuopuhi used to be much closer to Maungatapu. That was in the days when Waitaha people had their pa on the cliff top at the end of the peninsula. Motuopuhi, as its name suggests, was the island close by the pa where the puhi lived. The puhi were the daughters of the rangatira and they were high class. The ordinary girls, kotiro, were allowed to have boyfriends, but the puhi had to be protected. In due course they would be married off by the elders to the sons of chiefs of other hapu or other tribes. They had to be kept as virgins, a kind of tapu which would make them more acceptable to their future husbands. And so each night the puhi were taken to their special whare puni on the little island to sleep. Their guardians were a couple of old kuia, old ladies who took good care that no young men came around that island.
Well, human nature being what it is, that island of virgins presented a challenge to some enterprising young men. It was not too long before ways were found to get to the island and get past the kuia. It soon became obvious to the elders that the tapu imposed by the kaumatua was not enough to protect them. There was a great deal of discussion and when all the whaikorero was done, it was agreed the island was much too close to the pa. It was impossible to prevent these lovers' meetings under cover of darkness.
There was only one thing to do, that was to shift the island further away. This was not the sort of job for men, however. Next day the Waitaha women were called together. At half tide they all waded out and with one stupendous heave pushed the island further away across the estuary. If you doubt this korero tara then you should go to the Waimapu Estuary at low tide. You will see the channel between Motuopuhi and Maungatapu which was gouged out when the women shifted the island.
First to Find honours went to . . . . . NZ Flossy!