A Carved Guardian

Guarding the Entrance

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura

Ajr 2009

From the Tattoo Files

Ta Moko

(Tattoo)

at

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura Feb.2010, Ajr

From the Kete Files

A Quiet Corner

Weaving Studio

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura

Feb.2010. Ajr

More from the Tattoo Files

One Man

Two Tattoos

An Incomplete Picture
Takahanga Marae, Kaikoura.

Feb.2010. Ajr

A Giant in Miniature

A Giant Sculpture

Rendered Small

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura

Feb.2010. Ajr

From the Kete Files

Weaving Materials

Works in Progress

Takahanga Marae, Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr

Marae Carving

Carving Detail

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr
Takahanga Marae in Kaikoura is one of my favourites. Not only does it occupy a history-riddled hilltop site above the town with staggering views of the dramatic Kaikoura coastline and mountains, it also has an impressive collection of contemporary art - inside and out, Pakeha and Maori (including a beautiful Bill Hammond painted screen in the whare kai (dining room). I won't ramble on about all that here because I have written about the marae previously and shown many examples of the art and carvings. You can see those by clicking on Takahanga Marae in the label line below this entry.

Another Kete

One Small Kete

Sitting on the Sill

At Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura, April 2010. Ajr

From the Kete Files

One Kete

A Work in Progress

In the Weaving Room

Takahanga Marae, Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr

Traditional Designs - 18

One Bowl

Embellished in Red and Black

Takahanga Marae

Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr

More on Waka

I thought I'd throw in a few more of my favourite shots from the Waka Wananga at Takanga Marae in Kaikoura that I reported on recently for Ngai Tahu's Te Karaka Magazine.

It was the first time a waka unua (above) - a double-hulled voyaging waka - had been launched in Ngai Tahu waters for possibly hundreds of years and for the young Ngai Tahu crew intent upon reviving Ngai Tahu's maritime traditions, it turned out to be a spectacular weekend.

But it wasn't just about waka unua, several of the particpants had brought along waka ama (outrigger canoes) - everything from one-man to double and multi-crew canoes took to the Kaikoura waters. And for those down from the Waikato (and those originally from Hawaii), there was something pretty special about seeing waka ama gkliding across the ocean in front of the majestic, snow-capped Kaikoura Ranges. If you'd like to see more photographs and words on this event, click on Waka in the label line below this post.

More from the Kete Files

One Paua

One Kete

Maori Taonga Together
Takahanga Marae, Kaikoura

April 2010. Ajr

Introductory Words on Waka

When most people think of a Maori waka (canoe), they think of a waka taua - a war canoe - one of those magnificent traditional craft carved out of a totara or a kauri log, and paddled by a muscly crew of dozens. This is the sort of thing I'm talking about - above - this being the supreme waka taua, the biggest of them all, Ngatokimatawhaorua, which was carved in 1935 for the 1940 centennial celebrations at Waitangi. It requires 120 paddlers and now resides at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Paihia, Northland.

It is easy to get confused of course, especially when you bring waka ama and waka unua into the mix. A waka ama is an outrigger canoe, as illustrated above and below.Waka ama come in a range of sizes from one-man, two-man to the larger versions as shown below.

Unlike a waka taua, which is tapu and ritualised and does not permit female paddlers, a waka ama is a popular racing craft that permits both male and female crew.

A waka unua is another kettle of fish altogether. These are the large, double-hulled voyaging waka that ancient Polynesian cultures, including Maori, used to navigate the oceans. These are the waka that brought Maori to New Zealand shores. These are the waka that few people have seen in action. These are the waka that are the focus of a revival of interest in early Polynesian voyaging and celestial navigation. Among New Zealand Maori, the 'godfathers' of that revival are Hekenukumai Busby (Ngapuhi),Matahi Brightwell (ngati Porou) and Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr (Tainui).

I recently attended a Waka Wananga at Ngati Kuri'sTakahanga Marae in Kaikoura. It was organised by a group of enterprising young Ngai Tahu waka ama enthusiasts, who are passionate about and committed to the revival of Ngai Tahu voyaging traditions. There to impart his rich knowledge of waka unua and voyaging traditions, was Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr (above & below), a man with nearly 30 years of experience on all types of waka. Among his many achievements in the field, is the fact that he has paddled as crew (since he was 17) and now as captain of Taheretikitiki, the royal waka taua of Turangawaewae, for both the late Maori Queen and now the Maori King.

Under Hoturoa's tuition, the 20 young Ngai Tahu crew members received a crash course in the finer details of sailing waka unua, in the lead up to their week-long voyage around Hauraki Gulf, out from Auckland, on the full-sized waka unua, Aotearoa 1 - a journey that started on April 25. Hoturoa and his whanau had driven down from Hamilton with his smaller training waka unua, Pumaiterangi, which out out to sea at Jimy Amers Beach, in Kaikoura. It was an historic moment and probably the first time a waka unua had sailed in Ngai Tahu waters for hundreds of years. Everyone who sailed on her came ashore 'buzzing' with excitement. Organiser of the wananga, Eruera Tarena (Ngai Tahu) summed it up: "This is it. This is the beginning of something big for all of us. We've been passionate about waka ama and the possibility of bringing Ngai Tahu's maritime traditions back to life for the last decade. Now we're on our way. This is one step closer and it's a pretty special moment," he says, with waves washing around his legs. www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz www.tekaraka.co.nz

Paua - Favourite Kaimoana

Paua is the Maori name given to three species of large edible sea snails belonging to the Haliotidae family - known as abalone in the Northern Hemisphere. In New Zealand, the best known of the paua species is Haliotis iris and while it has a beautiful irridescent blue-green shell, in my opinion, the slimy, black 'animal' within would have to be one of the least appetising-looking potential meals I've ever come across.

But looks can be deceiving. Given a thorough bashing to tenderise the flesh and then sliced thinly and barbecued, paua flesh is indeed a delicacy. To Maori, they are a taonga (treasure) and they are sought after both as a food and for their colourful shells, which are often incorporated into carvings (usually to represent eyes) and jewellery. Another favourite way to eat paua is to mince them and make them into fritters. These juicy specimens were caught at Kaikoura and were served at the final meal of the waka wananga I attended recently at Kaikoura's Takahanga Marae.

Overlooking the Ocean - A Kaikoura Marae

Takahanga Marae at Kaikoura in the South Island, sits on a high hill overlooking the village of Kaikoura and the ocean beyond. It's a beautiful spot and one that comes with a rich, layered history. The main wharenui (meeting house) [above]opened in 1992 but the marae occupies a site that has been home to Maori for over 800 years. In recent history - back in 1828 - there was a battle on the marae site, the buildings were burnt down and the whanau (occupying families) moved north to Mangamaunu. When the local Ngati Kuri (a Ngai Tahu hapu) decided to build a new wharenui on the site in the 1990s, they carried out an archaelogical dig and found the 800-year-old foundations of the old wharenui, over which they laid the new structure.

I spent this last weekend at the marae, covering a waka wananga (canoe workshop) for Ngai Tahu's TE KARAKA magazine and I was once again struck by the beauty and atmosphere of the place - all this enhanced of course by an astonishing collection of contemporary Maori carvings and artworks by leading New Zealand artists - Neil Dawson, Bill Hammond and Chris Booth to name just a few.

Some of my favourite works are the striking pouwhenua - above (Neil Dawson's "Feather" just visible to right) - that stand sentry in several parts of the large hilltop property. They have an aura about them, a strength and a magic that is almost tangible when you stand beneath them. It goes without saying of course, that if the grounds are so beautifully embellished, the interior of the new wharenui must be likewise - and indeed it is. Colourful contemporary carvings that depict the hapu's dramatic history and their whakapapa (genealogy) twirl and swirl their way up the walls and across the ceiling. We had our evening talks in the wharenui - everyone happily sprawled out on their sleeping mattresses listening to the speakers and looking up into the colourful intertwining of history elements and family histories. Hypnotic almost.

www.ngaitahu.iwi.nz www.tekaraka.co.nz

Takahanga Carvings

One of my favourite contemporary carvings

@

Takahanga Marae, Kaikoura

Coastal Walkway

Kaikoura. April 2009 Ajr

It was very early morning when I pulled into South Bay at Kaikoura on my way north a few months back. But I had heard all about the new Kaikoura Peninsula Walkway and regardless of weather or time of day, I was determined to stop and take a look. That meant sitting in my car awhile waiting for the sun to come up and while it was still far from a perfect photographic day, I eventually got some shots. The walkway is a joint community project between Whale Watch Charitable Trust, Te Runanga o Kaikoura, the Kaikoura District Council and the Department of Conservation. Whale Watch and Te Runanga o Kaikoura have allowed access over private land for part of the walkway and its well supported by excellent information panels detailing the history, people, geology and the flora and fauna of the area. At 11.7km long, the track is a good three hours from South Bay around the coast to Kaikoura itself and even early in the morning, it was being well used by walkers and runners. These carvings are all at the South Bay end. I haven’t been able to find out anything about them yet but I am assuming they have been created by a team from Takahanga Marae in Kaikoura. I’ll get back to you when I have clarity on that – or if any readers can tell me, please leave a comment as I’m keen to find out the details.

Takahanga - A Place By the Sea

Kaikoura. April 2009. Ajr

When you walk through the old whale ribs onto Kaikoura’s Takahanga Marae it’s hard to know which comes as the bigger surprise – the laden apricot trees, the wafting scent of roses, the sight of agapanthus and dahlias rubbing shoulders with cabbage trees and olives, or the giant Neil Dawson feather sculpture swirling in the sea breeze. Sited on an historic pa site above Kaikoura township with panoramic ocean views, the marae and its eleven acres exude a welcoming sense of ‘homestead,’ of inclusiveness. And as you walk through Chris Booth’s geranium-clad stone archway onto a Michael Smither’s stone path, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d entered a sculpture park. In front of the main meeting house a cluster of gigantic totara sculptures created by Maori carver and sculptor, Cliff Whiting and the late Bill Solomon, provide a formal welcome. There are the pottery footsteps made by sculptor Bronwyn Cornish, the screen gifted to the marae by Lyttelton artist, Bill Hammond and inside, a collection of photographs by Wellington’s Ann Noble.

Kaikoura. April 2009. Ajr
On a site that has been occupied by Maori for over 800 years, it’s an unexpected break from tradition. That says Cliff Whiting, was always the intention.
“Back in the 1970s Ngai Tahu recognised that no new marae had been built for a long time and they saw the need to develop their cultural identity. Once the site had been agreed upon with the NZ Historic Places Trust, an archaeological dig was carried out, confirming that the original site was very close to the new plans in development. When it came to developing the garden, the local Ngati Kuri people were very much guided by the presence and preservation of original pallisade mounds,” he says.

Kaikoura, April 2009. Ajr
In a unique departure from tradition, Ngati Kuri, under the guidance of the late Bill Solomon, recognised their shared histories and the fact that since the early 1880s, many of their people had inter-married with Europeans. “Bill got the idea of involving pakeha artists in the development of outside areas and everyone worked together in a very deliberate way to integrate that inclusiveness into the whole marae statement. It was the first marae to do that and while some of the ideas have since been incorporated into Awarua at Invercargill, it remains the quite unique,” says Whiting. (This is an extract from a feature I originally wrote in 2005, published in Urbis Landscapes).