Te Hau

Te Hau was hatched in Oct 2021 at Wingspan in Rotorua to an eastern pair, Aroha and Hamden.

Te Hau was hand raised by previous manager Diana Dobson, to join our advocacy falcons here at the Kārearea Falcon Trust.

The name Te Hau which simply translates to ‘The Wind’ came from a Facebook competition that was ran when he arrived in our care. The winning name was picked from a contribution given by Marlborough local Keelan Walker.

Two early Polynesian explorers called Uenuku and Te Hau, said to have sailed here from Hawaiki and settled what is now known as Marlborough.

Uenuku scaled the tallest mountain in the area in search of his long lost love, Hine Pukohurangi, but unfortunately met his fate there. The mountain is now known as Tapuae-o-Uenuku (The Sacred Path of Uenuku).

Te Hau, however, remained at Kaipara Te Hau which is now known as Lake Grassmere, where he is credited with a number of adventures and exploits.

Te Hau is a tupuna to local iwi, Rangitane, and is said to be the first person to bring kumara to the Aotearoa. He constructed a large garden near Marfells Beach, which was raided by Kupe and his people when they came through the area.

There are many local significant places that still retain Te Hau's name, like Kaipara Te Hau (Lake Grassmere) and Kapara Te Hau (The Awatere to Marfells Beach Coastline). Perhaps the most well known is the mountain Te Hau, which is also known as The Ned and lies at the head of the Taylor Pass, overlooking both the Awatere and the Wairau Valleys.

It is said that Te Hau's final resting place is within this area. He is sprawled out among the Hills laying down. If you stand on the northern side of the Wairau valley you can still see his outline, with his head looking skyward on the Maunga known as the Ned (Te Hau).