Te taniwha o Loch Ness
Nā Wiremu Tāwhai
He tino tika nei taku kōrero - i keko mai te whatu o Nessie ki au!
I kite atu au e āta puta haere ake ana tana mahunga i te wai pōuri o tana roto. E rua tekau pūtu pea ki raro atu i ngā ngaru pakupaku nei ka hāmama ake tana waha. Ka horomia te panana i tukuna atu e au. Ka mānu mai mō tētahi wā poto noa. Anō e whakaaro ana pea mō ngā kupu karakia i whākoakoatia rā e au mō te panana rā. Ka takahuri atu tana tinana, ka rui mai tētahi o ōna parirau, ka ngaro haere atu ki te hōhonutanga o te roto. Engari, i mua i tana ngarotanga, ka huri whakarunga ake tōna mahunga me te tetē mai o ngā niho. Tumeke katoa ahau. Engari i pai noa iho. Nō te mea i tukuna kē mai e ia ki au tētahi keko mutunga mai o te arohanui. Metemea nei e kī ake ana ki āu, "Mauria atu te aroha ki ngā tipua taniwha o te ao Māori nā!" Ka piupiu anō tōna parirau, ka ngaro atu.
Ki te āta tirohia te mahere o Koterana, ka kitea tētahi whārua tino nui kai āhua waenganui o te whenua nei. E wehe atu ana i tētahi wāhanga o Koterana ki te uru. I ngā wā o mua he awa paku noa nei i waenganui o te whārua e rere ana. Engari i nāianei kua kī i te wai. Ko te tāone o Inverness kai te pito ki te uru, kai tana putunga atu ki te Moana o te Uru.
Ko tēnei whārua e whā tekau kiromita te roa, e rua kiromita te whānui. E toru tekau mita nei te hōhonu, kī tonu i te wai māori i nāianei. I heke mai ngā wai i ngā maunga nunui, teitei o ngā tahataha. I nāianei koianei te tinana wai māori tino nui rawa atu o Koterana katoa. Ko Loch Ness te ingoa. Ki te mōhio koe ko te kupu loch nei te kupu a Koterana mō te roto, ka mārama tātau ki te tikanga o te ingoa nei. Kāhore he roto wai māori nui atu e kitea ana i Ingarangi, i Wēra, i Airana rānei.
Ko ngā kōrero mō Nessie, he kōrero pakiwaitara ātaahua nō mua noa atu. E kōrerotia ana ahakoa i nāianei i ēnei wāhi o Koterana. Ko te whakamārama ake i te kōrero mō te whārua o Loch Ness i kōrero rā ahau, karekau he wai o reira i ngā wā o mua. Ko te awa paku anake. E nōhia ana e te tangata nga kōawaawa, e mahi ahuwhenuatia ana e rātau. E whakatipu huawhenua, huarākau, kararehe ana i runga i ōna oneone mōmona. Engari kotahi anake te puna wai o tēnei wāhi katoa. He puna tapu, he puna e kī ana i te wai i ngā wā katoa. E kore e mimiti. Kotahi te tino ture mōna. Ahakoa ko wai e haere ana ki te tiki wai i reira, me āta whakahoki e ia te taupoki inā mutu ana. Koirā te ture, engari i tētahi rā...
Tērā tētahi wahine me tana tamaiti i haere ki te tiki wai. I a ia e koutū wai ana ki ana paepae, ka rongo ia i tana kōtiro e tangi auē ana. I tana tino māharahara kua whara tana kōtiro, ka oma ia ki te whakaora. Ka mahue i a ia te uhi o te puna. Kāre i whakahokia. Ka pupū ake te wai, ka maringi ki waho. Ka pupū, ka maringi, pērā tonu, ā, waipuketia ana te whenua, ngaro ana. Ka whati ngā iwi ki ngā maunga kia kore ai rātau e toromi, me te auē i roto i tō rātau ake reo mō te kāinga kua huri nei hei roto wai, "Tha Ioch ann a nis!" Ko te whakamāori he pēnei, "He roto kē tō tātau kāinga i nāianei." Nā reira te mōhio i ēnei rā mō te ingoa mō Loch Ness.
Ka haere ngā rau tau, me ngā rau tau i muri iho. Ka tipu anō he pakiwaitara hou. He taniwha. Kai roto i a Loch Ness e noho ana. Kotahi. E rua. Nui noa atu rānei! Karekau e tino mōhiotia e te tangata e hia ēnei taniwha. Heoi, i te tau kotahi mano e rima rau i kitea te mea tuatahi...
Ka tae mai tētahi tohunga tino whai mana, tino rongonui o ērā wā, ko Saint Columbia tōna ingoa. Ka tonoa e ia tētahi o ana hāwini kia kauhoe ki tērā taha o te awa o Loch Ness ki te tiki waka hei whakawhiti mō rātau. Ka kauhoe atu te hāwini mā ngā wāhi pāpaku, āhua kirikiri, āhua mahana o te awa.
Ko wai hoki i mōhio he taniwha kai te wahi rā e moe ana. Ko te tinana i te ngaro atu ki te wai hōhonu o te roto. Ko te kakī anake, inā te roa, me te mahunga i puta ake ki runga i ngā kirikiri mahana. Ko te mahi ki reira he takoto, he pāinaina, he moe; he takoto, he pāinaina, he moe.
I te hāwini rā e kauhoe ana, ka takahia e ia tētahi o ōna waewae ki te tukemata tonu o te taniwha. Ka tumeke, ka ohorere, ka maranga ake te kakī me te mahunga. Ka pakaru mai i a ia tētahi auē mutunga mai o te whakamataku. Me te puare mai o tōna waha, me te tetē o ōna niho. Ko ngā whatu kei te whātete haere ki te kimi i te mea i takahi rā i a ia.
I te kitenga o Saint Columbia, mōhio tonu ia ka mate tana hāwini. Ka oma atu ia ki te wai me te hāparangi, "E koe e taniwha. Huri mai koe ki āu!" I te tino nui o te mana o taua tohunga, ka tahuri atu te kararehe taniwha ki a ia. Ahakoa te maringi atu o te huare i ngā kauae, kāhore a Columbia i hoki whakamuri. Ka tuhia e Saint Columbia te āhua o te rīpeka ki te takiwā, ka whakahaua te taniwha kia hiki pai noa ki tōna kāinga. E kīia ana, wiriwiri katoa te tinana i te rongotanga i te mana o taua tohunga. Ka hoki whakamuri, ka mutu te auē, ka totohu haere te taniwha ki te hōhonutanga o te roto.
Mai i tēnei kitenga, ka tino whakapono atu ngā iwi o ēnei rohe he taniwha tō Loch Ness. Tae noa mai ki tēnei rā, kei te haere tonu aua rongo. Kai roto i ngā kōrero i mahue mai i a Saint Columbia mā ētahi atu kōrero mō te taniwha i kite rā rātau...
Nui atu te tinana i tō te arewhana. Pōuriuri kenekene tonu te kiri. Karekau he waewae, he waero rānei. E whā ngā parirau, e rua kai mua, e rua kai muri. E rua tekau pūtu pea te roa o te kakī. Ko ngā whatu he kākāriki, he nui atu i te pereti. Karekau i kitea atu ngā taringa. Ko te mahunga he pakupaku noa iho. He whatu, he kauae anake. Kī tonu te waha i te niho pakupaku, potopoto, pūhuki noa nei. Ka tokopūhake ana, ka maringi mai he huare kōwhai i te waha.
Me te maha atu o ngā kōrero mō tā rātau i kite rā. Anā, nā te mea i kitea e Saint Columbia taua kīrehe i te tapa o Loch Ness, ingoa tonutia e rātau ko "Nessie." I roto i ngā tau mai i tērā wā, ū katoa atu ngā kōrero mō Loch Ness ki a Nessie. Ko Nessie tēnei, ko Nessie tērā. Nō Nessie tēnei tapuwae, ehara nō Nessie. I kitea a Nessie i muri mai, kāre a Nessie i kitea. He tame a Nessie, kāo he uwha kē. He kino a Nessie, he tere riri. Kāo he taniwha tino hūmārie kē. He kai tangata a Nessie, kāo he ika me ngā tarutaru o te roto ana kai. Ahakoa he aha ngā kōrero mō Nessie, hoki atu, hoki atu, mutunga kore!
Engari he nui tonu ngā kōrero mō Nessie kai te āhua whakaae te katoa i nāianei. Rātau o Koterana tonu kua noho ki te whakarāpōpoto i aua kōrero, ki te kimi i ngā tohu mō Nessie, ki te noho i ngā taha roto titiro ai, tatari ai, kia puta a Nessie. Rātau o Koterana me ērā o ngā whenua o te ao katoa kua heke ki te kaupapa o Loch Ness, me ā rātau mīhini whakaahua, mīhini whakarongo, hei kimi i a Nessie. I roto i ngā kōrero katoa mō Nessie mai i te tīmatanga, kua mau kē ētahi ki rō raima. E kore ērā e neke mai i ngā hinengaro o rātau e whakapono ana, e aroha ana ki ngā taniwha o te ao, ahakoa kai hea.
He uaua te kitea o Nessie. I ētahi wā anake ka kitea. Ka mutu, ahakoa i reira te tini o te tangata i te putanga mai o Nessie, ko ētahi anake ka kite, kāre ētahi. Whakapae ai ngā mea kāre anō kia kite, kai te kite rākau pōteretere ērā. Kua tino mūrere hoki a Nessie i nāianei. I ngā wā e puta ana, kai tawhiti rawa atu ia i te nuinga o te tangata. Kua kore e pōhēhē ka moe noa i rō wai pāpaku i runga kirikiri mahana i te wā e whiti ana te rā. Pērā i te wā i kitea tuatahitia e Saint Columbia. Me te āhua nei, ko te kaupapa kē o Nessie i nāianei, ko te noho huna ki ngā ana o te roto. Tērā anō tētahi kōrero i rongohia mō Nessie i ēnei tau tonu nei. I ngā tau o ngā rima tekau...
I haere ētahi tohunga ki te whakaahua i ngā mea o raro i te wai ki te titiro me kore tarea e rātau te tango he whakaahua pai o Nessie. I a rātau ngā mīhini mutunga mai o te whakapaipai mō te tango whakaahua i raro i te wai. Kāre he mīhini pai atu i te ao katoa. Ka mutu i puta mai i ngā wheketere hou o Tiapani. Ka heke ngā tohunga nei mā runga i tō rātau poti haere i raro i te wai, me ā rātau mīhini kānapanapa rā, kātahi ka whakaahuatia ngā mea katoa o reira i whakaaro ai rātau he rite pea ki te taniwha. Ka hoki ake ki runga, ka tīmata ki te tirotiro i ngā whakaahua e hia rau nei te tini nā rātau i whakaaro ki te tango. Nā te pōuri pea o te wai, nā ngā mana mākutu pea o Nessie, nā te aha rānei - ko wai ka mōhio. Kāhore i kitea e rātau he aha. Engari i roto i tētahi anake o aua whakaahua, e whatē mai ana te whatu o Nessie.
Ka puta anō ngā rongo o te taniwha nei ki te ao. Me te pai hoki o ēnei rongo hai tō mai i ngā tūruhi ki Loch Ness. Ka whakakahore anō ngā mea e whakahē ana, i runga i tō rātau whakapae he pēke kirihou noa iho. I kawea e aua tāngata rā ki raro, kātahi ka whakaahuatia hei whatu!
Kei te haere tonu ngā tautohetohe mehemea he mea ora tonu a Nessie, mehemea he tika ngā kōrero mōna, mehemea he pakiwaitara noa rānei. Mehemea rā he pono tūturu tonu taua kitenga tuatahi a Saint Columbia i te kararehe rā.
I te tau 1997 ka haere au i taku haere kotiti noa ki Koterana. I puta atu au ki te tāone o Inverness, ki reira mō tētahi pō. Ao ake i te ata, ka titiro haere au ki ngā pānui haere pahi i te hōtēra i moe rā aū. Kātahi au ka kite i tētahi. Ngā tāngata ka pīrangi ki te haere mā runga kaipuke ki te tirotiro haere i ngā wāhi whakamīharo o Loch Ness, te kāinga o Nessie, kai waho te pahi. Kua tata te haere. Nā reira, ko au tērā. Kai runga i te pahi, kai runga i te kaipuke, kai te teretere haere i te roto o Loch Ness.
Ka porotiti haere te kaipuke i te roto, ko au me ērā atu o ngā tāngata kai runga e pāinaina ana i te rā, e whakawhirinaki ana, e whakarongo ana ki te kaikōrero e kōrero ana mō Nessie. Ngā pakiwaitara mōna. Te tīmatatanga. Ngā kōrero mō 'Thar lock ann a nis," me Saint Columbia tonu. Tae noa ake ki ngā kōrero me ngā rongo kōrero o nāianei mō te taniwha. Āhua wairangi ana ahau i te whakarongo ki te pārekareka o ngā kōrero katoa.
Engari i a mātau e whakarongo ana ka heke mai he kohu i ngā maunga, ka ūhia tō mātau poti. Ka tīmata te kōuaua, me te pupuhi o tētahi āwha māmā nei. Ka hokihoki ngā tāngata ki roto i te whare o te kaipuke, mahue mai ana ko au anake. Ka pā mai tētahi taumaha tino nui. Ka rongo ake au i tētahi aroha mō te taniwha nei, tētahi aroha rā mō ngā taniwha katoa o te ao. Me ērā tonu o te wā kāinga i Aotearoa tonu. Ki ngā taniwha o ngā moana, o ngā awaawa, o ngā roto, me ērā o ngā wā kaitangata nō muri noa atu. Ki ngā kaitiaki o ngā wāhi tapu, o ngā kaimoana, o ngā ngahere. Ā rātau mahi kino, mahi pai, mahi whakamātautau i te tangata ora. Ā rātau waihangatanga hoki. Ka whakaaro anō au mō ngā taniwha o tēnā iwi, o tēnā iwi o te ao. A rātau kōrero pakiwaitara i whakarangatira ai i ō rātau hītori.
Ka heke iho au mai i runga, ka haere ki muri o te kaipuke ki te mātakitaki iho i te wai e koropupū ana ki muri. Ka whakaaro au, koianei te kāinga o te taniwha tino rongonui o te ao, o te taniwha nei, o Nessie.
Ka tiro iho au ki te panana i taku ringa. Ahakoa he panana noa, engari hai aha. Me tuku atu e au ki te wai hai koha māku mai i ngā taniwha o te wā kāinga ki a ia ki a Nessie. Ki a rātau katoa o tēnei taha o te ao. Ka tiro iho au ki te wai. Pōuriuri tonu. Pangopango tonu.
Ka āta tangohia e au te kir o te panana nei, ka whākoakoatia he mihi ki a Nessie. Ngā mihi mai hoki i ērā atu o ngā hoa taniwha o Aotearoa. He karakia paku nei kia tau te rangimārie ki a ia, ki tōna kāinga. Kia kore ia e tūkinotia e te ringa tangata. Ka whakamutua e au taku karakia, "Noho mai e Nessie hai kōrero whakamīharo mā ngā whakatipuranga kai te haramai." Ka āta tukuna atu e au te panana ki te wai.
Ka whakapono koe, kāre rānei? Kai a koe tēnā. Engari i tāku i kī ake rā i te tīmatanga, Eee i kite iho au i a Nessie! I tana māhunga, i ana whatu. Tana kakī, poho, me ana parirau e puta haere ake ana i tōna wai pōuri. Ka tikina mai e ia te panana e tere haere atu rā. Ka whakatīhaha te māhunga. Kātahi ka tukuna mai ki au tētahi keko mutunga mai o te ātaahua o te aroha. Ka piupiu ngā parirau, ka whakatahuri, ka ngaro atu. Ka mōhio au. Tēnā te wā, i roto i tō rātau ao taniwha, ka tūtaki a Nessie ki ōna whanaunga o Aotearoa.
Ka haere tonu te kaipuke, ka haere tonu ko au.