The Dragon Stone

Location: New Zealand

Dates: November (2002) to January (2003)

The building of the State Highway One was halted after local Maori, the Ngati Naho, complained that it would destroy the home of Karu Tahi, a one-eyed taniwha. The company, Transit New Zealand, took this seriously and halted for discussions with the Maori. An agreement was reached to protect the taniwha’s lair. The provisions including making the incline leading up to the road steeper, so that less of the swamp would be disrupted. The drainage was also changed so that water would not be drained away from the swampland. The changes added extra costs to the road project, but both sides seemed happy with the agreement. Hopefully the taniwha is too!

Sources:
BBC
New Zealand News Items