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Story: Ngā waewae tapu – Māori exploration

Greenstone trails

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Greenstone trails

This map shows the major tracks used by South Island Māori for moving pounamu (greenstone) from the West Coast to the east, for trade with North Island tribes.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Barry Brailsford, Greenstone trails: the Maori and pounamu. 2nd ed. Hamilton: Stoneprint, 1996

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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/14162/greenstone-trails (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Rāwiri Taonui, published 1 March 2009.