Maori Maiden Wairaka Statue Whakatane New Zealand
Photo & Vacation Spot

The coastal shores of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand displays a statue of a Maori Maiden, Wairaka, on the large rounded boulder.

Along the coastal shores of the town of Whakatane in the Bay of Plenty on the North Island of New Zealand, a large boulder is home to a statue of the Maori Maiden, Wairaka. The town of Whakatane was named by this maiden as the legend tells of her terrifying experience.

Every year on an annual adventure, the women who arrived in the Mataatua canoe were left to sea as the men made their way onto the land. As the women were left in the canoe, it began to make its way outwards and all the women became extremely scared until a maiden named Wairaka took control of the situation.

The words "Whakatane" were yelled by her, a saying which means "act like a man" and they all banned together to save themselves from the fury of the sea. The statue displayed on the rock is a reminder of the power which the Maori maiden Wairaka showed.

Statue of the Maori Maiden Wairaka at the mouth of the Whakatane River, Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, North island, New Zealand.