The meaning of Awanui

Awanui means 'big river' and I'm named after the Wanganui river, the home of Mum's iwi Atihaunui-a-paparangi. Here's a saying from those parts:

I rere kaumai te awanui mai
te kahui maunga ki tangaroa.
Ko au, te awa
Ko te awa
Ko au.

The river flows from the mountain (Ruapehu)
to the sea.
I am the river and the river is me.