Te Puka (The Anchor Stone) in Stewart Island / Rakiura, New ZealandAtlas Obscura – Latest Articles and Places

Cryptids | August 10, 2023

Te Puka (The Anchor Stone) in Stewart Island / Rakiura, New ZealandAtlas Obscura – Latest Articles and Places

A 100-meter walk down the Rakiura Track from the car park reveals a giant chain emerging from the tussock and sinking into the sand. This sculpture plays on the idea that Stewart Island (Rakiura) is physically connected to the South Island. There is a matching sculpture on the South Island at Bluff. 
According to Māori folklore, the South Island was demigod Māui's canoe (te waka a Māui) and Rakiura was the canoe's anchor stone. The sculpture is formally known as te puka (the anchor stone). 

A 100-meter walk down the Rakiura Track from the car park reveals a giant chain emerging from the tussock and sinking into the sand. This sculpture plays on the idea that Stewart Island (Rakiura) is physically connected to the South Island. There is a matching sculpture on the South Island at Bluff. 

According to Māori folklore, the South Island was demigod Māui's canoe (te waka a Māui) and Rakiura was the canoe's anchor stone. The sculpture is formally known as te puka (the anchor stone). 

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