Sacred Hatu Patu rock smashed with a sledgehammer in a brazen attack
Chris Marshall/Stuff A brazen sledgehammer attack on the iconic Hatu Patu rock in Atiamuri was discovered during the Christmas period. (Photo taken before the rock was attacked) A vandal wielding a sledgehammer has smashed an iconic and sacred site in the small South Waikato village of Atiamuri. The desecration of Te Kōwhatu o Hatupatu (Hatu Patu’s Rock) a wāhi tapu site that sits near State Highway 1 in Atiamuri, 20 minutes south of Tokoroa, was discovered during the Christmas period. Fragments of the rock were smashed off during the attack and divots can be seen on the face of the ro...
Source: stuff.co.nz