Descriptions in the prologue of

‘The Whale Rider’

“The mountains were like the poutama”

“The lush green rainforest was a rippling kakahu of many

colours”

“The sky was iridescent paua”

“Swirling with the kowhaiwhai patterns of wind and clouds”

“It reflected the prisms of rainbow or southern aurora”

“The sea was ever-changing pounamu, shimmering and

seamless to the sky”

“The forests sent sweet perfumes upon the eastern winds and

garlands of pohutukawa upon the eastern tides”

“The flukes of the whale stroked majestically at the

sky”