Lake Rotoaira and Tongariro

Long before the first Europeans, the Māori, a South Sea people, settled the ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. According to their legend, the first tribes arrived in twelve large canoes in their new home, New Zealand. There are numerous myths and stories about the settlement in many different versions, one of which will be told here. The navigator of one of the first canoes, the tohunga Ngātoro-i-rangi, set off inland one day with several companions, where he Mount Tongariro spotted and immediately decided to climb. He ordered his companions to fast until his return and set off with the slave Auruhoe. But those left behind grew hungry and broke their fast, which angered the gods, who sent thunderstorms to the mountains. Ngātoro and Auruhoe were freezing bitterly, and with his last strength, Ngātoro prayed to his gods. They heard him and sent fire via an underground route, which, however, rose too early and left a trail of volcanic activity. With full force, it finally erupted at Tongariro and thawed Ngātoro out. Auruhoe, however, was already dead. Ngātoro sacrificed the body to the gods in gratitude for his rescue and threw it into the crater, which has since borne the name Ngauruhoe .

All images from the ‘World Images’ edition