It seems the massive bird died and sank into the mud in the upper reaches of Kawhia's extensive tidal harbour, remaining hidden until a group of 21st-century school kids noticed a few bones sticking out of the mud. Fossils on the foreshore, just as my friend described.
Archaeologists and geologists have long recognised the significance of the area, and even to the untrained eye the landscape looks ancient and interesting. Misshapen outcrops of layered rocks rise unexpectedly from the surrounding hills, towering over the land like the ramparts of a ruined castle.
It looks like a place that could spring some surprises, and the existence of white sand beaches on the west coast is one of them. In places around the 6000ha harbour, crystalline water surges between tall stacks of pancake rocks, washing gently on to gleaming white sand that contrasts with the black-sand beaches around the rest of the harbour.
Like many things around Kawhia, you need local knowledge to find them, so we jumped aboard a harbour cruise, which revealed the beaches and upper harbour and also gave an understanding of the long history of the area.
The great waka of Tainui arrived here in the 14th century, and the region remains the spiritual home of the Tainui people. Kawhia's Maketu marae is believed to be the resting place of the ancestral canoe, said to lie under a hillock near the marae buildings.
Across the harbour, the tiny holiday settlement of Te Maika, which can be reached only by boat, was the domain of feared warrior chief Te Rauparaha, who fought his way south through Waikato and Taranaki before settling on Kapiti Island.
A walkway that weaves through town and along the harbour is another pleasant way to absorb the scenery and history. We started at the small museum then strolled along the waterfront, past people fishing and swimming in the calm waters.
Huge, gnarled pohutukawa line the way. Among them are the sacred trees Te Papa o Karewa and Tangi te Korowhiti, where it's said the Tainui waka was tied when it arrived.
Somehow we meandered off the heritage trail, although getting lost is not a problem in this tiny town. Our unplanned deviation took us through another part of New Zealand history - the bach culture of the 50s and 60s. True bach communities like Kawhia are rapidly disappearing and it's a pity that some authority can't step in and slap a preservation order on the whole town.
There's an eclectic mix of simple but much-loved beachside hideaways, with expansive kikuyu lawns bounded by gardens adorned with driftwood, stones, shells and other finds - maybe even fossils. Garden escapees like nasturtiums, morning glory, geraniums and agapanthus tumble wildly down banks in a glorious blaze of orange, purple, red and white.
Kawhia is a fishing town and a few charter and commercial boats operate out of the harbour. This means incredibly fresh fish, and every lunch and dinnertime the smell of famous KFC (Kawhia fish and chips) wafts through the town centre.
The area has always provided ample sustenance for its inhabitants, and our stay coincided with the annual Kawhia Kai Festival, which celebrates this bounty in a laidback style, with bands and kapa haka performances throughout the day.
If you're planning to go to future events, don't eat anything before you leave home. The amount of food on offer is huge, ranging from tuatua, whitebait or paua fritters to fresh mussels, hangi, boil-ups and rewena bread. I tried the delicious creamed kina stew in a pocket of fried bread and I also chewed for ages on some dried pipi, which I would kindly describe as "interesting".
We did throw a shovel in the boot when we went to Kawhia, but it wasn't for fossil hunting. When the harbour mudflats were exposed at low tide, we headed to Ocean Beach to dig up another of Kawhia's secrets.
Te Puia Springs bubble up on the edge of the Tasman Sea, and at low tide you can dig a soak-hole and sit in warm water that's cooled by ripples washing in from the sea. If low tide falls in the evening, you can revel in the glory of a west coast sunset from your personally designed natural spa ... and many would say that's very fashionable indeed.
