PITAK:, the Polynesian slayer of three dragons, from New Zealand.
HOTU-PUKU: a taniwha (dragon). Travellers between the districts of Rotorua and Taupo were disappearing. The Taupo people assumed a war party was waylaying the travellers and sent out a war party to fight them. In Kapenga they found a taniwha called Hotu-puku and fled. A new party, set out to Kapenga. They hung up a noose, and a man called Pitaka acted as bait, going through the noose. As soon as Hotu-puku, the taniwha, put his head through the noose, it was pulled tight until he died. Hotu-puku was cut open, and the bodies of the people he had eaten were found. After burying the bodies, Hotu-puku was cooked and eaten.
PEKE-HAUA: is a water taniwha who lived in Te Waro-uri, a deep water-hole in New Zealand. Following Pitaka's exploits with slaying of Hotu-puku, he was summoned to Te Awan-hou to slay another taniwha, called Peke-haua. Pitaka and his companions wove traps out of vines, before descending into the chasm. When Peke-haua was asleep, Pitaka swam down to him, and tied a rope around him, before quickly escaping. Using spells to aid them, they pulled the taniwha up, so that they could kill him.
KATAORE: was a cave dwelling taniwha living near the settlement Rotorua, in the Tiki-tapu district. Pitaka and his companions slayed Kataore. However, this taniwha was the pet of chief Tangaroa-mihi, who was enraged by the death of his pet, and made war on the killers.
