Mokoia Island facts for kids
Mokoia Island is a special island located in Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. It's about 1.35 square kilometres in size. This island is not lived on by people today. It's actually a type of lava dome that rose 180 metres above the lake. This happened after the Rotorua caldera (a large volcanic crater) collapsed. Hot, melted rock (magma) was pushed up through cracks in the earth, and one of these cracks was right where Mokoia Island is now.
Around the edges of the island, there are natural hot springs. These springs form a warm pool called Hinemoa pool, which locals also know as Waikimihia. The island also has very rich soil from the volcano. This made it a great place for the local Māori to grow kumara (sweet potatoes) long ago. Because of its good location, it was also a very important place that was often fought over.
Mokoia Island is owned by local Māori iwi (tribes). They manage it together with the New Zealand Department of Conservation. The island is a safe place for birds, so only special tour groups are allowed to visit. It's home to several rare birds, like the North Island kōkako, the North Island brown kiwi, and a group of endangered North Island saddleback birds.
The island is also used for regular training camps for Mau rākau, which is a traditional Māori martial art that uses weapons like the taiaha.
The Legend of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai
Mokoia Island is a very important and sacred place for the Māori of the Te Arawa iwi. It is the setting for one of New Zealand's most famous love stories: the legend of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai. This story is similar to the ancient Greek tale of Hero and Leander.
The legend says that Hinemoa and Tūtānekai were in love, but they were not allowed to marry. Hinemoa's father, a chief from the lake's edge, told her she could not travel by canoe to Tūtānekai's village on the island. But Hinemoa was determined! She decided to swim about 3.2 kilometres across the lake to the island. She was guided by the beautiful sound of Tūtānekai playing his flute.
To help her float, Hinemoa wrapped rushes (a type of plant) around herself and swam to the island. Another version of the story says she used gourds (hollowed-out plants) to help her float.
The well-known traditional Māori love song "Pokarekare Ana" also tells parts of the story of Hinemoa and Tūtānekai. The words of the song describe Hinemoa's journey swimming across the lake to reach Tūtānekai.
