The hapuka reefs at Kairakau

Hāpuku or groper are a reef fish in warm southern waters, highly rated for eating. The two hapuku reefs mentioned here are Waimatai and Hinemahanga, and they can be seen at the bottom of this map, just offshore from Kairakau Beach, while Marokotia is at the top right of our map.   Ōkaiure was a settlement on a ridge behind Kairakau. Here people were cured of debilitating witchcraft spells that were probably due to loss of energy caused by nutrient-deficient diets and which in turn gave rise tofear-induced bouts of depression. The reefs would have been associated with these cures. No doubt a few good fishing trips and feeds of hapuku could raise the spirits of the most depressed soul! Some translators have named these reefs Maunungarara and Wharerauaruhe, but unless the reefs have been recently renamed(???), these two names would seem to be two of the reefs' guardians.