Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History
Stewart Island's Maori name is Rakiura (Glowing Skies), and you only need to catch a
glimpse of a spectacular blood-red sunset or the aurora australis to see why. According to
myth, NZ was hauled up from the ocean by Maui, who said, 'Let us go out of sight of
land, far out in the open sea, and when we have quite lost sight of land, then let the anchor
be dropped'. The North Island was the fish that Maui caught, the South Island his canoe
and Rakiura was the anchor - Te Punga o te Waka o Maui.
There is evidence that parts of Rakiura were occupied by moa hunters as early as the
13th century. The titi (muttonbird or sooty shearwater) on adjacent islands were an im-
portant seasonal food source for the southern Maori.
