Maori were well aware of the areas dramatic landscape,stretching from mountains to sea,and the natural taonga ( treasures)found within and beyond the ranges here.The coastal and inland journeys made over generations can be traced through the descriptive names they gave to many of the features of this land . Te Waipounamu ( The Waters of Greenstone) is one such name.It refers to pounamu, the Aotearoa New Zealand jade that is found in this region and that has long been prized by Maori, so much so that Te Waipounamu is also the name they gave to New Zealand’s South Island.