Made of Gold Sterling Silver Southern Alps Necklace

Southern Alps Pendant

This pendant is named after the Southern Alps, the highest and largest mountain range in New Zealand and covers the whole South Island. 

The Māori name for the Southern Alps is Ka Tiritiri-o-te-Moana. According to Māori pūrākau the mountain range was formed when Raki, the sky father, married Papatuanuku, the earth mother and his children came down to greet their father’s new wife. Four of his sons, Ao-raki (Cloud in the Sky), Raki-ora (Long Raki, Mount Dampier), Raki-rua (Raki the Second, Mount Teichelmann), and Raraki-roa (Long Unbroken Line, Mt Tasman) 

They came down in a canoe, which was known as Te Waka o Aoraki. They cruised around the vast ocean looking for Papa-tua-nuku, but could not find land. They decided to return to their celestial home, but the karakia (incantation) which should have lifted the waka (canoe) back to the heavens failed and the waka fell back into the sea and turned over onto its side, turning to stone and earth in the process. 

The waka listed and settled with the west side much higher out of the water than the east. Thus, the whole waka formed the South Island, hence the name Te Waka o Aoraki. Aoraki and his brothers clambered onto the high side and were turned to stone. They are still there today. 

Materials: Sterling Silver

Net Silver: 3.90g

*The pendant comes with a complementary sterling silver chain.