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Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

Stone deposits

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Stone deposits

This map shows the main deposits of stone that Māori used. In one tradition, a man chases a taniwha from the North Island to the South Island, visiting a number of important stone quarries. The story is an oral map of these resources.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Malcolm McKinnon, ed. Bateman New Zealand historical atlas. Auckland: Bateman, 1997

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.

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How to cite this page

Rāwiri Taonui, Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration – The South Island, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/map/14161/stone-deposits (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 1 March 2009.