Contents:
Others were reptile-like sea creatures.
Or they took the shape of sharks or whales, or even logs of wood in the river. Some could change their shape.
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. A chief caught him and kept him as a pet in a river. He began eating people travelling on the river.
To catch him a taniwha slayer, Ao-kehu, hid inside a hollow log in the river. The taniwha smelt him, and swallowed the log. Inside the taniwha were the remains of people and canoes that he had eaten. 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. They said it would destroy the lair of their taniwha, Karutahi. As a result, the highway was built in a different area.
After ten such movements Rereroa let Awarua rest. This continued all day until Awarua was completely exhausted. When the sun finally set, Awarua took a well-deserved rest. Her thoughts then turned to the evening meal. When Rereroa saw the array of fish and eels that Awarua had in her larder, she was amazed.
There was every type of fish imaginable and all swimming in her holding pool, ready to be eaten at her whim. Awarua scooped up a wing full of fish and offered them to Rereroa, she politely took a few of the choicest fish and suggested Awarua return the rest. But Awarua was hungry after her days work and slid all the fish straight into her. When Awarua leant into the pool to grab another wing full, Rereroa stepped in to stop her.
I couldn't possibly stay airborne if my body was too heavy," Rereroa said.
Awarua sadly released the second scoop of fish, but was happy that her teacher was as serious as she was about flying. Awarua's training continued in this way for weeks.
Soon she was racing around the harbour and lifting her weighted wings with ease. The next day dawned fine and calm. Rereroa took Awarua to the south end of the harbour, and started with wing stretches to get the muscles moving. Rereroa then directed Awarua towards the centre of the harbour, facing Whitireia, the local maunga. Awarua took a deep breath, focused towards the north end of the harbour, and headed off. She gathered speed slowly but surely, her wings flapped furiously as she picked up the pace. As Awarua began to skim across the water, she raised her head, thrusting all her energy into her wings.
When she was nearing the other side of the harbour Awarua could hear a voice screeching into her ear. With that, Awarua gave an extra hard push and lifted from the water. But the maunga Whitireia loomed in front of her quickly, she strained to gain more altitude but wasn't fast enough to get over the hill. Awarua smashed into the trees that covered Whitireia, which luckily softened her fall.
Awarua was quick to try again. Rereroa gave her further advice, and they were off once more. This time Awarua flapped her wings extra hard from the beginning and gathered more speed for her take off. She lifted off the water further back than she did the first time and quickly gained altitude, easily passing over Whitireia. Awarua was so excited she was busy howling at the top of her lungs and didn't see Mana Island looming in front of her. She hit the island with a mighty crash, sliding across it as if she were slipping through mud at low tide. Awarua continued to practise her flying and although she couldn't fly for long distances she was happy with being able to lift into the skies.
Rereroa departed across the great oceans, also happy that her teaching had been so successful. When Rereroa returned from her long fishing trips, Awarua would show her the new flying tricks she had learnt, often making some spectacular splash downs. To this day the results of Awarua's flying antics can be seen in the landscape around the Porirua harbour.
When she crash-landed across Mana Island, Awarua took the top off it causing its flat appearance.