Maori Place Names - 91

Waitahanui

Taupo

June 2010. Ajr

Marae Art

Turangi, Central North Island. April 2009. Ajr

I rather liked this large mural decorating a building wall at Waitetoko Marae just north of Turangi in the central North Island. I wrote about the marae a week or so ago and you can find out more about it in my May archive, or by clicking on Waitetoko Marae in the label line below this post. The marae sits just across the road from the south end of Lake Taupo.

Down by the Lake

Lake Taupo. April 2009. Ajr

Waitetoko Marae sits on the southern shores of Lake Taupo in the little settlement of Te Rangiita, just north of Turangi. I came upon it early in the morning as I was driving from Turangi to Auckland. Nobody was about. I found it a very restful spot - beside a stream with a lush backdrop of pine trees. I haven't been able to find out much about it sadly, so I'm going to take a wild guess and suggest that it belongs to one of the Tuwharetoa hapu - perhaps one of the Te Matapuna grouping, who live at the south end of Lake Taupo. But perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe there is a Te Arawa connection? I'd love to hear from anyone who knows for sure - just leave a comment for me

Lake Taupo. April 2009. Ajr
I particularly loved this gorgeous little red-roofed church that sat to one side of the marae itself, neatly enclosed by a classic white picket fence.