Story: Manawatū and Horowhenua region

Early Māori pathways

Early Māori pathways

Oral tradition holds that Māori first reached Manawatū and Horowhenua after journeying south along the coast or through Te Āpiti – the Manawatū Gorge. Why is south at the top of the map? Māori referred to the area around Te Whanganui-a-Tara as Te Ūpoko o Te Ika a Māui – ‘the head of the fish of Māui’ (the North Island).

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How to cite this page:

Malcolm McKinnon, 'Manawatū and Horowhenua region - Early Māori history', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/9472/early-maori-pathways (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Malcolm McKinnon, updated 1 Apr 2015