Manata - the legend of Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown.

Maori legend tells of the creation of Lake Wakatipu with the forbidden romance between the young warrior Matakauri and Manata, a beautiful daughter of a Māori chief.

One evening, Matau - a cruel taniwha (giant) - kidnapped Manata and hid her in his mountain lair. Manata’s father was so distraught, he declared that any warrior that was able to rescue her, could have her hand in marriage. Matakauri accepted the challenge, figuring that this was the only way to prove his love to Manata. He however knew that the next time the warm wind blew from the north-west, the taniwha would be put to sleep.

When the wind blew, and the taniwha lay sleeping, Matakauri attempted to rescue the chief’s daughter. Matakauri discovered that the magical rope made from a two-headed dog that tied Manata to the taniwha could not be cut. In her despair, Manata sobbed. When her tears fell on the rope, it dissolved and she was able to break free. The couple fled and were married as promised by Matau’s father.

After the wedding, Matakauri decided to rid of the taniwha once and for all. He waited again for the warm north-west wind to blow, when the giant was asleep. Matakauri set fire to Matau to ensure he would never steal Manata again. The taniwha’s body melted, creating a deep gouge in the earth which filled with melted ice and snow. The large ‘S’ shaped lake left in his place forms Lake Wakatipu, which translates as the ‘hollow of the sleeping giant’.

The Maori say that the only part of Matau’s body that didn’t burn was his heart, which still beats in the lake, creating the mysterious, rhythmic 20cm rise and fall of it’s the lakes waters. Scientific explanation names this phenomenon a seiche – a standing wave that passes by every 27 minutes which causes the water level to rise and fall by 20cm, triggered by wind and atmospheric changes.