Maori Rock Carving
Matahi's gift
The Maori rock carvings at Mine Bay on Lake Taupo, are over 10 metres high and are only accessible by boat. The spiritual and cultural beauty of these magnificent carvings towers over deep waters of the Great Lake.
In the late 1970s master carver Matahi Whakataka-Brightwell came to his mother's land at Lake Taupo and on a boat trip around the Western Bays he saw the cliffs at Mine Bay and decided to use them as a canvas for his work.
Matahi decided to carve a likeness of Ngatoroirangi, a visionary Maori navigator who guided the Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa tribes to the Taupo area over a thousand years ago. In recognition of the multi-cultural nature of New Zealand, Matahi also carved two smaller figures of Celtic design, which depict the south wind and a mermaid. The Ngatoroirangi carving took four summers to complete and the carvers took no payment other than donations to cover the cost of the scaffolding. The carving has become an important cultural attraction for the region and is a wonderful gift to the people and visitors alike.
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