Te Urewera

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Te Urewera, often known as The Ureweras, is an area of the central North Island of New Zealand. Located in rough, sparsely populated hill country to the northeast of Lake Taupo, it is the spiritual home of the Tuhoe, one of the most independent-minded and prominent Māori iwi.

The heart of Te Urewera is located close to Lake Waikaremoana, and much of the land is contained within Te Urewera National Park. Other than the park, the main industry in the district is forestry, centred on the settlement of Murupara. The area is fairly isolated as well as being sparsely populated, with only one major arterial road, the inland route from Napier to Rotorua crossing it.

The region's name is unusual, and has an intriguing (if painful) origin. Te Urewera means "The burnt penis", and is named for the tale of a Māori chief who died after rolling over in his sleep while lying too close to a camp fire.^[1]

Because of its isolation and dense forest, Te Urewera remained largely untouched by British colonists until the early 20th century; in the 1870s and 1880s it was still in effect under Maori control. As with the King Country at the time, Te Urewera was an area few Pākehā were prepared to risk entering.^[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ David Withers, with Paul Campbell (2007). Tales from the Ruakituri Valley. ISBN 9780473120955. 
2. ^ Michael King (2003). The Penguin History of New Zealand. Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-301867-1.