Avaiki was constructed by the gods in a series of strata, with spaces separated by ceilings like caves, and tunnels giving access to its halls. In the lowest of these halls lives Varima-te-Takere, the Goddess of Beginning.
According to some descriptions, Avaiki is a huge oven or fireplace for roasting all the dead who will subsequently be devoured by Miru, the goddess of the underworld.