Te Ope-a-Kupe (Te Anamāhanga/Port Gore)
Te Anamāhanga (The Twin Bays) was one of the two tentacles of Te Wheke-a-Muturangi, the great octopus killed by Kupe, the other being Te Anatohia (East Bay). It lies in the shadow of two significant maunga, Puhikererū (Mt Furneaux), named after a Kurahaupō tipuna, and Parororangi (Mt Stokes), named for a place in Hawaiki. Parororangi was (and is) an important weather indicator and both maunga were also used as navigation aids.
In the bay, Te Ope-a-Kupe was a turanga waka (landing place) used by generations of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō and is the place where many important Ngāti Apa tīpuna first came ashore in Te Waipounamu. It was the residence of the notable Ngāti Apa tīpuna Tu Tonga, Hape, Kapa and Kaitangata.
According to tradition, Kupe landed here in his waka, Te Matahourua. Indentations on rocks were formed by Kupe’s footprints and he named the place Te Ope-a-Kupe (The Footprints of Kupe). Other Ngāti Apa migrations lead by tīpuna such as Te Kahawai, Te Āhuru and Kōtuku all used Te Ope-a-Kupe and resided in Te Anamāhanga.
Karaka trees at Te Anamāhanga are known to Ngāti Apa as Te Karaka o Kupe, because the famous navigator is believed to have introduced them.
The area was an important fishing area, providing access to kōura, pāua, karengo and kokapoko. It contains pā sites, cultivations, kāinga and urupā, wāhi tapu that are still important to Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō today.
During a visit here in 2016, a rōpū of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō rangatahi were greeted by two kereru as they entered the bay. And as they made their way to Te Ope-a-Kupe, a shag flew down onto the rock, opening its wings as if to greet them. To commeorate this tohu, a new taiaha move was composed and named, Te Kaikau o te Kawau.
