The Three Sisters Rocks are near the town of Tongaporutu on the west coast just north of New Plymouth. They can only be reached on a low tide and this was our 2nd attempt at trying to see this marvelous beach.
reflections
elephant
Willy, Jake and Simon hunting for crabs
It was a great day but we have now learned (learnt- as the kiwis spell it) that there is another cave we must see just down the beach from where we were. Just south of the Tongaporutu rivermouth are two rock stacks with a cave. There are ancient footprints 4m up from the sand floor. For many years the Maori would use this cave for shelter when travelling by canoe between the Waikato and Taranaki Regions. Local lore states that the infamous chief Te Rauparaha and his female companion rested here to recover from his debilitating attack of boils.
When the companion lanced the boils, the chief braced himself against the cave wall. There are impressions of his hands and feet that can be seen clearly today. The chief was reputed to have 6 toes. As evidence, 8 footprints in the cave have 6 toes. A must see for sure!
Thanks for reading!
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