Lake Rotoaira

Published: Aug. 30, 2011, 5 a.m.

The famed 'Ka mate' haka - well known for being performed before rugby games - was composed by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha as he hid from pursuers on an island in Lake Rotoaira. He was concealed in a kūmara (sweet potato) pit, with the local chief's wife squatting above him. The lake is also a reservoir of water for hydroelectric power generation. Archival audio sourced from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives, http://www.soundarchives.co.nz/. Sound files may not be reused without permission from Radio New Zealand Sound Archives (Reference number T370).