Discovering the Bay of Plenty

Wherever I drive around New Zealand, I love venturing down back roads. It's something I've always done ever since I was a kid growing up in the Waikato, riding my bike for miles and discovering what lay down roads I'd never cycled down before. Last year, when I drove through the Bay of Plenty, I didn't have a lot of time to veer off the main highways, but I did stop many times to check out some of the small Maori communities that lay along the way. The photograph immediately above (bottom image) is of the Whetu o Te Rangi Marae of the Ngati Pukenga iwi. The top image wasn't far from there, but I couldn't get a good view of the complex. More often than not, the marae in any one of these communities throughout New Zealand, is surrounded by a cluster of houses, perhaps a Kohanga Reo and possible an iwi office. And they're rarely far from a kai (food) source - a river, a stretch of ocean, a stream.

Discovering Maketu

It was a brilliantly sunny morning when I discovered the tiny coastal settlement of Maketu in the North Island's Bay of Plenty for the first time last year. Although I spent my childhood visiting Bay of Plenty beaches, I'd never been to Maketu before. I fell in love in an instant. There was just something about the place - an intangible sense of familiarity and belonging that had me thinking I could happily live there.

As I drove into the village, I stopped outside the Whakaue Kaipapa Marae (Te Arawa iwi), which is a lovely complex perfectly located on the shores of the estuary (see lower image). It was a hive of activity as a group of men wheeled barrow loads of soil and busily hammered their way through a working bee.

Whakaue Kaipapa was opened in May 1928. It is said to be one of the first efforts of the Maori School of Arts and Crafts at Rotorua. When it was built there were no carvings inside the wharenui and that's still the case today. The wharekai, which has been rebuilt three times (most recently in 2001), is called Rangiuru, who was the first wife of Whakaue. There are also two delightful Maori churches in Maketu, which I've featured in an earlier blog.

Te Kahui Matariki

When I visited Tauranga earlier this year, I discovered this series of pouwhenua along The Strand - the seven figures that represent Te Kahui Matariki: the Pleiades cluster of stars, or the seven sisters.
Carved by James Tapiata, they are a handsome addition to the waterfront and each pou includes stunning carved detail.

The appearance of the Matakriki constellation in the north-eastern sky in late May, early June, hails the arrival of the Maori New Year. This is a time of new beginnings when karakia (prayers) are offered for the health of the soil, the seed and the harvest. If the stars are bright and clear, it is said the following year will be warm and fruitful. if they are hazy, a cold winter is predicted. Matakriki was also used as a navigational aid for ocean travellers throughout the Pacific Ocean.

There has been an upsurge of interest in Matariki in recent years. It's all part of the wider renaissance of te Reo Maori and Maori culture that many New Zealanders - Maori and Pakeha - are keen to acknowledge and celebrate. Although there are tribal differences regarding the timing of Matariki celebrations, they most often begin at the next new moon after Matariki has risen. www.matariki.net.nz

Two Maori Churches

I was delighted to discover the tiny Bay of Plenty seaside settlement of Maketu on my recent trip around the North Island. I fell in love instantly and spent considerable time roaming about taking photographs. I loved these two little Maori churches - the very cute St Peter's Catholic Church above; and St Thomas's Anglican Church, established in 1869, below.

On the day, I took dozens of photographs - expecially of the little carved gateway to St Peter's - but it wasn't until my next stop in Rotorua, that I noticed I'd accidentally knocked the camera onto the wrong setting and all my best shots were in total blackness. These are all I could salvage - not the best, but they give you an idea. Maketu also has a wonderful little marae, which I'll feature another time; and a marvellous little holiday community overlooking a wide spread of ocean and estuary. An overlooked gem for sure and one I will be returning to.

A Waka in a Cage

When I visited Tauranga in the North Island's Bay of Plenty in June, I spent a lot of time wandering around the city's foreshore area. I found this waka in its custom-designed 'shed' at one end of The Strand.

I think the photographs say enough.

I love the carving detail.

Maori Place Names - 80

Omarumutu, Bay of Plenty

North Island

June 2010, Ajr.

Maori Place Names - 78

Onepu, Bay of Plenty

North Island

June 2010.Ajr

A Bay of Plenty Discovery

The day I left Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty on my recent travels around New Zealand, I took my time, dawdling first in the lovely, little seaside village of Maketu before carrying on to sunny Te Puke.

I was so distracted by my thoughts about Maketu - and how much I loved the place - that as I drove out of Te Puke I almost missed this marae - Tuhourangi Marae. If it hasn't been for the bright school gateway on this Te Kura Kaupapa Maori, I would have sailed straight past.
The gate is a memorial, unveiled in 1948, to Maori soldiers killed in battle. It was when I was walking back to my car after photographing the gate that I looked up and saw the marae in straight in front of me across the busy highway. I took these shots from there. I haven't hadd time to find out anything about the marae, other than it sits in the Rohe of Waiariki/Te Arawa. If any readers can enlighten me further please leave a comment.

Canoe Memorial

Images Whakatane. May 2009. Ajr

I arrived in Whakatane early in the morning and took time out of my travels for a quick look around town. I drove passed the Whakatane boat ramp and found myself at this pretty spot on the coast. The above plaques, on the side of the rocky outcrop shown in the top image, are a memorial to the Matatua Canoe. Just so you have a clear reading, the memorial was erected on March 16, 1940 by the Matatua tribes, to commemorate the historic landing on this sandy spot, of the Matatua Canoe, one of the main fleet of the Maori migration from Hawaiki in the year 1340 AD, after a voyage of 2,000 miles under the guidance of famous chief and navigator, Toroa.

Making an Entrance

Opotiki, Bay of Plenty. May 2009. Ajr

When I visited Opotiki in May, on my way around East Cape, I called in to the local visitor centre to see if they could give me some information on the Maori carvings in the main street. Sadly - and surprisingly - they were unable to give me anything beyond a small mention in their Pacific Coast Highway guide, which I had already found. As if to make up for that, the man in charge talked excitedly about the new carvings at the Opotiki District Council. "They're just next door," he said. "You should have a look. We're very proud of them." And so they should be because they do make a very bold entrance statement. Sadly, he couldn't tell me anything about their derivation either. So I phoned the council myself and discovered they were carved by Heke Collier of Opotiki, who has carved a number of major works in the district including Wairaka, in the town's mainstreet (which I have featured here a few weeks back); and the beautiful carved poupou (poles/totems) at Waiotahi Beach, near Opotiki, which I will be featuring soon. www.odc.govt.nz www.opotiki.com

A Bay of Plenty Marae

All photos May 2009. Ajr
The tiny settlement of Kutarere sits in the eastern Bay of Plenty, 30 kilometres from Whakatane and 20 kilometres from Opotiki. Once the port town of Ohiwa Harbour, servicing the hinterland, today it is little more than a cluster of houses that line the main road. In 2005 the population was just 15. When I past through recently, I never even saw that many people.

All photos May 2009. Ajr

But I did stop at the cute wee Kutarere Church (which I’ll show another time), and, just a few metres down the road, the Kutarere Marae, pictured here, which has recently undergone major renovations. The area is steeped in Maori history and it’s home to the people of Te Upokorehe, one of the six sub-tribes of Te Whakatohea and the beautiful wharenui is called Te Poho o Tamaterangi. There also appear to be tribal links to Tuhoe via the hapu Turanga Pikitoa of the Maungapohatu tribal group – but just a little complex for me to work out for sure. If I’m wrong in that, I’m happy to be corrected via a comment left below.