Rakataura was born in Hawaiki, and was the eldest member of the senior line of his
hapū. He received the name Hape, due to his
inward-turning feet. In
Waiohua oral tradition, Rakataura / Hape travels supernaturally to New Zealand, ahead of the
Tainui crew. In this version, Rakataura was chosen to represent his hapū on the
Tainui canoe, however this was not popular due to his disability, and only the young and those with sound bodies and minds could travel. Rakataura prayed to
Tangaroa for his feet to be restored, however instead of healing his body, Tangaroa sent Kawea Kawea Ki te Whenua a Kupe, a
taniwha (supernatural being) in the shape of a stingray to transport him. Rakataura arrived at the
Manukau Harbour, waiting at
Ihumātao for the
Tainui crew to arrive. Days later, the crew arrived, not from the mouth of the harbour, instead from the east (having crossed the
Te Tō Waka at Ōtāhuhu over the
Auckland isthmus). Rakataura called out from the hill, hence the name
Karangahape ("The Call of Hape"). Some of these names include Hikurangi, the name he gave to a location near
Piha which referenced a location in his homeland and became one of the traditional names for
West Auckland and the Waitākere Ranges, Other traditions link Rakataura to the Ōtāhuhu Portage between the
Tāmaki River and the
Manukau Harbour. In some traditions, he is the tohunga who creates the portage, while in others he attempts to block the
Tainui crew from using it and settling to the west. In these traditions, Rakataura quarrels with
Hoturoa, captain of the
Tainui, because he refused to let Rakataura marry his daughter
Kahukeke. Instead of crossing the portage, Hoturoa and the crew of the
Tainui sail around the entire
Northland Peninsula to the
Manukau Harbour. Rakataura and his sister Hiaroa lit fires and sung incantations to prevent the main
Tainui crew from settling around the harbour or the
Waikato area. Rakataura travelled south to the Whāingaroa Harbour (
Raglan Harbour), establishing a
tūāhupapa (sacred altar) on the mountain
Karioi, and continued to sing incantations to dissuade the
Tainui crew from discovering the areas he found. Rakataura travelled further south to the
Kawhia Harbour, where he met the
Tainui crew, reconciled (either here or further south at Whareorino), During their travels, Kahukeke fell ill at Wharepūhunga, where Rakataura built a house for her to rest in and recover. Some traditions describe Rakataura as settling at
Rarotonga / Mount Smart in Tāmaki Makaurau with his wife, before travelling to the Waikato later in life. == Legacy ==