taken from the site: Te Ahukaramu Charles Royal. 'First peoples in Maori tradition - Patupaiarehe, turehu and other inhabitants', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 4-Mar-09
First peoples in Maori tradition


The following story was written by Hoani Nahe, a Ngati Maru (Hauraki) elder of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He writes graphically of a people called the patupaiarehe and the turehu, who inhabited the land prior to the arrival of the Polynesian peoples.

Now listen. When the migration arrived here they found people living in the land ? Ngati Kura, Ngati Korakorako and Ngati Turehu, all hapu or sub-tribes of the people called Patupaiarehe. The chiefs of this people were named Tahurangi, Whanawhana, Nukupori, Tuku, Ripiroaitu, Tapu-te-uru and Te Rangipouri. The dwelling places of these people were on the sharp peaks of the high mountains ? those in the district of Hauraki (Thames) are Moehau mountain (Cape Colville), Motutere (Castle Hill, Coromandel), Maumaupaki, Whakairi, Kaitarakihi, Te Koronga, Horehore, Whakaperu, Te Aroha-a-uta, Te Aroha-a-tai, and lastly Pirongia, at Waikato. The pa, villages, and houses of this people are not visible, nor actually to be seen by mortal (Tangata Maori) eyes ? that is, their actual forms. But sometimes some forms are seen, though not actually known to be these people ? Sometimes this people is met with by the Maori people in the forests, and they are heard conversing and calling out, as they pass along, but at the same time they never meet face to face, or so that they mutually see one another, but the voices are heard in conversation or shouting, but the people are never actually seen.
On some occasions also, during the night, they are heard paddling their canoes ? At such times are heard these questions: ?What is it?? ?Who are the people who were heard urging forward their canoes on the sea during the night?? or, ?Who were heard conversing and shouting in the forest?? The answer would be as follows: ?They were not Tangata Maori, they were atua, Patupaiarehe, Turehu, or Korakorako.?