Throughout South Canterbury and North Otago, you can find limestone outcrops covered in black and red drawings of moa, the giant Haast eagle, birdmen and taniwha.
These ancient drawings have attracted the interest of French archaeologists, who visited recently to establish an exchange programme.
To see some of the sites and to find out more about their meaning, Veronika Meduna joins Ngai Tahu Maori Rock Art Trust curator Amanda Symon for a tour.