NEW ZEALAND
Bay Of Plenty Region
OKERE FALLS
The "Rugby World Cup" New Zealand Tour
Thursday September 15th, 2011
Tutea's Caves
Chief Tuteamutu lived in the vicinity of the Okere (Kaituna) River and it's myriad of caves. He was descended from the Tuhourangi Tribe of the Te Arawa People.
The whakapapa (geneology) goes:
Tuhourangi (Grandfather) Taketakehikuroa (Father)
Tuteamutu (Ancestor that the Tutea Falls are named after)
Tutea lived about a kilometre north of the caves at a Pa called ‘Pakira’. Some say the caves housed a Taniwha that was a pet of Tutea’s. Taniwha is a water spirit or monster that may take any form from logs to reptiles and whales. They are often regarded as guardians by the people who live in their territory.
Tutea and his people were ousted from the Kaituna by the joint Army of Ngati Pikiao and Ngati Waitaha in a Te Arawa Inter-tribal war. In fact all the descendants of Taketakehikuroa who lived over most parts of Rotoiti, were either killed or fled the onslaught of the combined Army.
That’s how the Okere (Kaituna) River, lands and caves surrounding the river, fell into the hands of Ngati Pikiao today.
The period of devastation for Tutea and his period was around the late 1600’s early 1700’s. Today the name of the Marae atea in front of the meeting house at Whakarewarewa is called Pakira. Named after their Pa where they once lived on the Taheke land block which adjoins the eastern side of the Okere (Kaituna) River at Okere.
