Po rua - One way to count the passage of time

Kia ora ra e te iwi whanui!This week I came across a new way to speak on the passing of time. Hopefully you find this insightful.Po rua a Tukutuku e whakatata ana ki a Paoa, kihai i tata. - For two nights Tukutuku was trying to get near to Paoa, but did not succeed.[First Lessons in Maori, pg. 39, W.L. William]Po whitu ki te moana ka whiti ki Hawaiki. - We'll be at sea for 7 nights until we reach Hawaiki.[A Dictionary of the Maori Language, pg 285, H.W. Williams]