The Arahura River is the birthplace of pounamu New Zealand Jade. There are many different legends about the origin of pounamu. One well known story tells of Poutini who fell in love with Waitaiki - a beautiful married woman that he saw bathing in the river. Poutini was chased by the husband Tamāhua who had kidnapped his wife Waitaiki. Fearing capture but refusing to give up his love, Poutini turned Waitaiki into his essence - pounamu - and laid her in the riverbed at the junction of the Arahura River with a stream that became known as Waitaiki