The Catlins River 

When I was growing up, most of the history of Aotearoa that I was taught started with the arrival of Europeans. Very little mention was made of earlier inhabitants which were actually here for quite a significant period of time. Take the Catlins for example, Captain James Cook first sighted the area in the 1770’s when he sailed past. However, archaeological evidence points towards Māori tribes occupying the area to about 1350AD.