Mystery of Aotearoa | Reo Pākehā
James Cook was greeted by Chief Topaa and the people of Arapāoa. It was there Chief Topaa shared knowledge of mysteries and legends of the area.
Written by Rina Pinker.
Historical note by Dr P N Meihana.
Illustrations by Tony Pinker.
James Cook was sent on a mission to find the southern land. He circled and criss-crossed the globe in search of the Terra Australis continent, the mystery to decode.
James landed in Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. It was while he was here that he met Chief Topaa and the people of Arapāoa. Chief Topaa was intrigued by James and the knowledge that he had. In return Chief Topaa shared his knowledge of the mysteries and legends of his land.
In order to help James with his mission they climbed the highest hill. James would document the scene to put the myth to rest. As they reached the top James couldn’t believe the view, but Chief Topaa wasn’t surprised, local iwi already knew. The grand southern land was not one island but two!