Wakatipu and the Giant
Many of the Maori legends that shape New Zealand history are fascinating and creative! One of my personal favorites was the one behind Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. As you can see from this photo, this lake is a very unusual shape, with several little islands jutting into it. The Maori believed that this was the result of a fallen giant who was bested by a boy in love. There are many versions of this story, but my personal favorite rendition was told to me by a sweet old man as he drove a shuttle full of exhausted tourists around the beautiful blue lake. Long ago, there was once a Maori chief who had a lovely daughter known throughout the land for her beauty and kindness. Fearful that she would be taken away from him, the chief kept his daughter close and refused to let any man court her. Unfortunately for a simple commoner, this meant he could only love the lady from afar. When word of the lady's beauty reached the ears of a terrible giant, he stormed through the ...