Skip to main content

Story: Ngāi Tahu

Tuhiraki (Mt Bossu)

Image
Tuhiraki (Mt Bossu)

To dig out the great lakes of the South Island, the Waitaha ancestor, Rākaihautū, used a kō or digging stick. After completing his exploration of the island, he settled on Horomaka (Banks Peninsula). His stick, Tuhiraki, forms a rocky peak, known to Europeans as Mt Bossu, above Akaroa Harbour. Tuhiraki rises on the opposite side of the harbour from the town of Akaroa.

Using this item

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by John Wilson

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.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Te Maire Tau, Ngāi Tahu – Ngāi Tahu and Waitaha, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/1644/tuhiraki-mt-bossu (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Te Maire Tau, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2017.

Comments

Dominee Morgan Morgan
14 March 2024
Error - The kō (digging stick) of Rakaihautu is Tūwhakaroria not Tuhiraki. Tuhiraki is the name of the mountain that Rakaihautu planted his kō, Tūwhakaroria in after exploring Te Waipounamu.