Taniwha / Mythical Monster

While other cultures have the dragon. Nothing would be complete with out the mystical and mysterious creatures we call the Taniwha whose origins are as old as the earth. The myths and legends surrounding the taniwha are wide and varied thoughout New Zealand . Some say the taniwha ruled the world long before humanity existed. They also have a spiritual representation often associated to power and ferocity.

Huia

The native Huia bird now extinct was the prized bird of the Māori warrior because of its tail feathers. Such feathers were revered as taonga - treasures by Māori. The wearing of feathers as ornaments was later adopted by Pākehā women as a symbol of social standing.

Kahu

The native hawk appears in Māori mythology in the story of Maui , where we are told that the colour of its plumage is the result of it having been scorched by the fire of the ancestress Mahuika.