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kōauau

1. (noun) cross-blown flute - smaller than a pūtōrino, this instrument was traditionally made of wood, bone or a species of kelp. Most have three finger holes (wenewene), but some have none and others five or six.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 167-168, 170-171;)

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2. (noun) bull kelp, Durvillaea antarctica - a large, brown, edible seaweed several metres long with an extraordinary holdfast against violent seas on rocky coasts. Has a fleshy stem and the blade is broad and leathery or divided into long thongs. Common around the South Island coast. Used to make pōhā for preserving birds.

See also rimurapa

Synonyms: rimurehia

kōauau pongāihu

1. (noun) gourd flute - a flute made of tiny gourds with the neck removed. Played using the nostril, it has two small fingur holes placed on the side of the gourd.

(Te Māhuri Textbook (Ed. 2): 163;)

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