Elementary i WATER
In Māori mythology, taniwha (Māori pronunciation: [tan-e-far]) are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers (giant waves). They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives, or cause people to drown.
What did they look like?
There are different types of taniwha, - in fact some could even change shape. Some were reptilian, like giant lizards, sometimes with wings, or sea creatures. Or they took the shape of sharks or whales. Others even looked like oddly behaving logs of wood in the river.
Famous taniwha
The explorer Kupe had a guardian taniwha, Tuhirangi, who guided and protected canoes in Cook Strait. Much later, a friendly dolphin named Pelorus Jack swam with ships in this area. Some Māori believe Pelorus Jack was Tuhirangi in dolphin form.
Tūtaeporoporo was a taniwha that actually began life as a shark. A chief caught him and kept him as a pet in a river. However Tūtaeporoporo changed, growing scaly skin, wings, webbed feet and a bird-like head. He began eating people travelling on the river and got a bit out of control. A taniwha slayer, Ao-kehu, hid inside a hollow log in the river to get close enough to kill him, but the taniwha smelt him, and swallowed the log, Ao-kehu and all. Ao-kehu killed him by cutting his way out, revealing the remains of the victims and the canoes that Tūtaeporoporo had eaten.
A female taniwha, Hine-kōrako, married a human. When his relatives insulted her, she escaped to Te Rēinga waterfall near Wairoa. But she still protected the local people. One day the river was in flood, and some travellers in a canoe came dangerously close to the waterfall. Hine-kōrako held back the canoe and saved their lives.
Taniwha today:
In 2002 the Ngāti Naho people in Waikato opposed a plan for a highway. They said it would destroy the lair of their taniwha, Karutahi. As a result, the highway was built in a different area.
In Northland, members of Ngāpuhi opposed the building of a prison. They believed there was a taniwha, in the form of a log, in nearby waterways. They said the building would stop the taniwha from moving around. However, the prison was built.
In general, modern taniwha sightings are very rare. In New Zealand the taniwha is seen as being more somewhere between spiritual and symbolic. Few would expect to actually see one in the flesh. However if you go a little further back in history there are a small number of reports of actual sightings. Although not all modern Māori necessarily believe in taniwha, they are still play an important part of the culture.
Cache is on Beef Creek, but no need to leave Watersons Line. It contains logbook. BYO pen and keep an eye out for taniwha!
Park and grab, but take care to park safely. Landowners are aware of the cache. Please leave the cache as found
Like all fish, this cache is a little slippery little devil! Take care when you find it to catch it!