The Whanganui River is an ever-present life force for the North Island of New Zealand. Of great historic importance, the river is one of the most culturally significant bodies of water in the country. Maori of Whanganui iwi have long believed that the river is…
Aoraki
To Ngai Tahu, Aoraki represents the most sacred of ancestors, from whom the tribe is descended from and who provide the iwi with its identity and meaning. The ancestor embodied in the mountain is the physical manifestation of Aoraki, the link between the supernatural and the natural world.
Carving of Aoraki and his brother mountains, Aoraki Mount Cook Visitor Centre - © Cliff Whiting