A Carved Gateway

When I arrived in Taupo last year on my North Island travels, I was surprised to see that this new waharoa (gateway) had sprung up outside the Great Lakes Centre. It was a brilliantly fine day and I couldn't resist taking photographs of its bright new facade against the blue sky.

From there, I went around to Taupo Museum, where, quite by chance, I met the carver who had completed the work - Delani Brown (Te Arawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Raukawa). Some of his works were on show in the museum and he was busy at work on a demonstration carving.

The waharoa (above) has been carved from ancient totara logs from Waipohutu Forest of the Pouakani Lands and it features carvings that tell a symbolic and spiritual story about the arrival of geothermal energy in the Taupo region. It was designed and carved by Master carver Delani Brown, who worked closely with Ngati Tuwharetoa kaumatua to receive the stories and historical knowledge that underpins the stories depicted in the carvings.

A War Memorial

We miss out on a lot in life when we don't take the time to look carefully at everything around us. It seems to be the modern way - to whizz through life without a minute to spare for the sheer enjoyment of observation. I've been guilty of it myself - which is why I had never really noticed this particular war memorial in Rotorua's Government Gardens before. Always in a hurry for a meeting at adjacent Rotorua Museum & Art Gallery, I had driven straight past it many times.

Unveiled by the Duke of York in 1927 it is a memorial to the Te Arawa soldiers who died in the Great War. It is extravagant in its detail - following both the English and the Maori traditions. I've only represented a tiny portion of that here in the interests of conserving space. I particularly loved the little waka with its miniature paddlers set into the concrete memorial.

A Ngati Pikiao Marae

It was late afternoon on a grey winter's day when I pulled off the highway 14 kilometres north of Rotorua at the tiny village of Mourea. I'd spotted the sign to Te Takinga Marae and I was keen to get a closer look.

I drove down beside a slow moving river and parked my car for a while to take in the pretty buildings - the cute-as-a-button Maori church, complete with urupa (Motutawa) and the marae complex itself, set back from the road against a backdrop of thunderous grey clouds.

Te Takinga (Hohowai) Marae is home to the hapu Ngati Te Takinga of the iwi, Ngati Pikiao, which in turn is an affiliated member of the Te Arawa confederation of tribes. Ngati Pikiao occupies the land of the Okere and Rotoiti Lakes near Rotorua and Te Takinga, is on the western shores of Lake Rotoiti. there was no one about on the marae itself; in fact the only person I saw in all of Mourea, was a man fishing on the side of the river.

Rotorua's Sacred Gulls

In 1823, the northern Ngapuhi tribe, led by Hongi Hika, attacked Rotorua's Te Arawa people on Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. Te Arawa were warned of the pending attack by the disturbed flight and squawking of Nga Tarapunga - the red-billed gull - and were prepared for the enemy as a result. Since then, the gulls have been tapu (sacred) to the people of Te Arawa.

Both red- and black-billed gulls breed in their thousands at Te Arikiroa (Sulphur Bay) on the edge of the lake (near the Polynesian Spa) and the red-bills also roost here outside breeding season. The little sandy beach at Te Arikiroa was also the scene of an inter-tribal battle centuries ago, when the people of Ngati Tangaroa-mihi and Ngati Tama (Tama-ihu-toroa) clashed. The dead and dying were said to be so thickly strewn about that they resembled inanga (whitebait) cast on the shore. Things are much quieter today and it's a popular bird-watching spot. You'll also frequently find photographers at work early in the morning, trying to capture the mood as morning mists and geothermal steam mix over the water. There's a msyterious beauty about the place then.

The Buried Village of Te Wairoa - A Book

If you're a visitor to Rotorua, there's every chance you'll drive out to Lake Tarawera and The Buried Village, one of the city's leading tourist attractions. You don't actually see a lot and you have to walk quite a distance through a pretty park to see buried ruins (not that that is too much of a hardship), so I was delighted to pick up this old book recently - "The Buried Village of Te Wairoa," published by D.W.Smith, Rotorua. It doesn't have a publication date but judging by the photographs, it's relatively early, so I gathered it up to add to my collection of old books on New Zealand Maori.

Before the eruption of Mt Tarawera in 1886, the Te Wairoa valley was home to the Arawa hapu (sub-tribe), Tuhourangi. Along with a carved whare, (meeting house) called Hinemihi, (that's it in the second image from the top), there were churches, hotels and houses for both Maori and Pakeha. But when Tarawera blew her top on the night of June 10, 1886, rocks, firefalls and mud explorded into the air and rained down over an area of nearly 6,000 square miles. Around 143 people perished and the famous Pink and White Terraces were never seen again. The image directly above shows the whare (house) of Tohutu, the 100-year-old Tohunga (priest,witchdoctor), which is still at the Buried Village today. Tohutu was buried in the whare but was found alive four days later.

Caption as shown: "The carvings of this unique storehouse, or Pataka, are executed in sandstone, a material very rarely used for this purpose."

Caption as shown: "Restored and erected in the grounds of beautiful Clandon Park in England, this same whare was bought from the Te Wairoa Maoris by an early Governor, the Earl of Onslow, who took it back (to England), when his term was completed. The whole property is now in the hands of the National Historic Trust in Britain." www.buriedvillage.co.nz

Visiting Tarukenga

I was on my way to Rotorua – not far from it in fact – when I spotted the sign pointing to Tarukenga Marae, just off State Highway 5, northwest of Rotorua, near Ngongotaha. I didn’t have far to go. Just a few hundred metres down the short side road I came to the cluster of houses that makes up Tarukenga and there, sitting on the brow of hill, against a backdrop of flax bushes, was Tarukenga Marae.

As usual, there was no one about, although I did get the very distinct feeling that I was being watched as I got out of my car to take a couple of exterior photographs of the marae setting. It’s home to the Ngati Te Ngakau/Ngati Tura hapu of Te Arawa iwi and the beautifully embellished wharenui (meeting house) is Te Ngakau, the whare kai, Hinetai. www.tearawa.iwi.nz

Beside the Lake

The small Maori community of Ohinemutu at Rotorua, is one of my favourite Maori places. Nestled into a small hillock on the banks of Lake Rotorua, it's a place of mood, culture and geothermal activity - a fascinating combination that usually sees me spending hours there on any visit to Rotorua. Apart from the fistful of houses, the narrow streets and the magnificent St Faith's Church, you'll also find some stunning examples of Maori carving - these two shots taken at the beautiful wharenui (meeting house) that dominates the main marae complex. I've posted many shots taken at Ohinemutu - just click on the name in the label line below this post to see more. www.rotoruanz.com

Bird Tales: The Red-Billed Gull

Unfortunately I haven't been able to establish the precise Maori name for this, the red-billed seagull. I've found at least five different words for seagull - katete, akiaki, karoro, tara, and tarapunga. Maybe they refer to different species of gull? As always, any knowledgeable comments left below greatly appreciated. What I have discovered about the red-billed gull though, is that it was once considered tapu, or sacred around Lake Rotorua. This arose from an incident in 1823 when the northern Ngapuhi tribe attacked the Te Arawa people, who were hiding on Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua. Unknown to them, Ngapuhi had brought their canoes in from the coast for the attack. But they were unexpectedly foiled - to a degree - when the colonies of red-billed and black-billed gulls shrieked in alarm when they saw the canoes, alerting the Te Arawa people to enemy presence. After the battle, in which many lost their lives, the Te Arawa tohunga (priest) recited a karakia (prayer) over the gulls, declaring them sacred so they would not be harmed.

A Traditional Experience

Rotorua, home to the Te Arawa people offers the greatest number of Maori tourism experiences in one place. One of the most popular is a visit to the Mitai Maori Village, where you get an excellent introduction to Maori culture, traditions and protocols. It's an interactive experience that can include a cultural performance, a hangi (a traditional earth-cooked meal) and a terrific outing on Wai-o-Whiro Stream at night in the waka (war canoe) carved by the Mitai family. I made a fleeting visit during my recent visit to Rotorua and was very taken with the carvings (above) outside their main entrance. www.mitai.co.nz

Church Glass

St Mary's, Tikitiki, East Cape. May 2009. Ajr

Last week I brought you a piece about William Pepere, the kaikarakia (lay preacher) at the astonishingly beautiful Tikitiki Church at East Cape. Since it’s Sunday and the little church is ‘open for business,’ I thought I’d pay a return visit and show you some of the beautiful stained glass windows. Little St Mary’s was built by the local Ngati Porou people as a memorial to Ngati Porou soldiers who died in the World Wars. It is a fitting tribute. The outstanding carvings and tukutuku panels are second to none. I forgot to mention in last week’s blog (below) that the elaborately-carved pulpit shown in one of the photographs (scroll down to view) was a gift from the Te Arawa tribe. This exquisitely crafted church was one of my favourite discoveries on my recent trip around New Zealand.

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.

Maori History Storehouse

Rotorua Museum. 2007. Ajr

Quite apart from being a stunningly beautiful building, Rotorua Museum of Art & History is a storehouse of Maori history. The new Don Stafford Wing opened in 2008 houses exhibitions that focus on the Te Arawa people, much of the mountainous and volcanic geography that was sacred to them, along with an exhibition that details the history and war time achievements of the 28th Maori Battalion. The Te Arawa people can lay claim to starting tourism in New Zealand. Back in 1860 the Tuhourangi people were already organising day trips to the famous Pink and White Terraces of Lake Rotomahana – Te Otukapuarangi and Te Terata and Guide Rangi is remembered as an early Rotorua tourism icon. If you can’t get to Rotorua any time soon – which is a shame; it’s one of my favourite places, complete with all it’s smelly sulphurous air – you can check out much of that fascinating history by clicking on to their website – www.rotoruamuseum.co.nz or www.tearawa.iwi.nz

Island Sanctuary

Mokoia Island. Aerial View. Image supplied by Wai Ora Group

Lake Rotorua’s Mokoia Island is a private tribal island owned and governed by four local hapu (tribes) of Ngati Whakaue, Ngati Uenukukopako, Ngati Rangiwewehi and Ngati Rangiteaorere. It has held a prominent place in Maori cultural history and its fertile soils saw early Te Arawa people using it to grow food crops – especially the kumara (sweet potato). Today it provides an excellent example of partnership conservation -the island’s restoration and protection is headed by the Mokoia Island Trust Board while the Department of Conservation provides technical advice and practical support; and DOC in conjunction with Mokoia Island Wai Ora Experiences carry out a quarantine check of all guests visiting the island, in order to protect the breeding programme of several of New Zealand’s most precious native birds.

Guided Mokoia Island Tour. Image Supplied by Wai Ora Group

Top: Tieke or Saddleback. Bottom: Kakako. Images supplied by Wai Ora Group.
Access to Mokoia Island is strictly limited to permitted operators only - the team at Mokoia Island Wai Ora Experiences for instance. They run a number of fascinating tours that give visitors an insight into this beautiful, mysterious place. I particularly like the sound of their Birds of Mokoia tours. Mokoia is New Zealand’s only inland island bird sanctuary and it has New Zealand’s largest population of Tieke (Saddleback), a bird that takes its English name from the band of colour running across the adult bird’s back. According to Maori tradition, the saddle marking was caused by the man-god Maui when he scorched the feathers of the bird after capturing the sun. In addition you’ll see tui, weka, toutouwai (North Island Robin), kokako and kiwi. (Like the extinct Huia, the kokako and tieke are part of the Wattlebird family and are found nowhere else in the world). www.mokoiaisland.com www.tearawa.iwi.nz

Te Arawa Art

Te Raukura Gallery, Rotorua. Image Supplied by Rotorua Tourism.

The Arawa people have hosted visitors to Rotorua in the central North Island since the 1880s and there’s no better way for them to share their stories and history than through their art. Step into any art gallery in Rotorua and you’ll get a strong sense of Rotorua’s deep Maori heritage; but one that stands out for me is Te Raukura (The Red Feather) Gallery, which specialises in authentic contemporary and traditional Maori art. Owner, June Northcroft Grant (TeArawa, Tuwharetoa, Tuhourangi-Ngati Wahiao) is an artist herself – her works strongly influenced by her tribal histories and tupuna (ancestors) - and she has an extensive knowledge of printmaking, painting, weaving, bone carving and ceramics. She talks about a thriving Maori art scene in Rotorua: “Te Puia is the centre of customary artwork and Tarawhai Carving School at Okataina and the Ngati Whakaue Carving School at Ohinemutu have been a strong part of the community and Maori life since the late 1880s,” she says. "New contemporary works abound too with artists referencing the tupuna art to produce exciting works in paint, clay and other mediums.”