Motuopae

This little island in the middle of the estuary is only accessible at low tide.
It's the urupa (burial ground) and belongs to the local Ngai Tamarawaho.
This is it's story according to legend:
Motuopae was a hillock among many small hills inland of Otumoetai. Motuopae was in love with one of these hills but as so often happens, the lady did not respond to him at all. She turned her attention to another. Motuopae could not bear to stay around and watch his object of affection ignoring him in favour of someone else. He decided one night to swim out to sea. However, he dithered about this idea for too long before he started on his journey. He had only got as far as the Waikareao Estuary before the sun rose. He could only travel at night. The first rays of the early morning sun caught him on the mudflats of Waikareao and fixed him in his place there. He could not move. And there he sits facing out to sea.