Marae Revival

Northland. April 2009 Ajr
Whakapara Marae sits on a hill overlooking the Whakapara River, north of Hikurangi and south of Kawakawa. I found it by turning down yet another Northland side road and I’m so glad I did for it has a fascinating story. It’s one of five marae that make up the hapu of Ngati Hau (Akerama, Pehiaweri, Maruata and Waihou are the other four), and it is home to the descendants of Eru Nehua and Te Tawaka, who had fourteen children - nine of whom went on to have families of their own. Land was set aside as a Maori Reserve here in 1913 and was gazetted in 1966. The original wharenui on the site was called Hukarere but it fell into disuse in the 1950s and was filled with hay and left to become overgrown with gorse when many of the local whanau moved away from the area.

Northland April 2009. Ajr
It wasn’t until the land marches of the 1970s that interest was revived and Eru and Te Tawaka’s te uri (descendants) (among others), made a commitment to rebuild a marae on the site. This is the new wharenui – Te Iho O Nehua - which was opened in 1998 during a torrential storm (seen as a blessing by the locals); and the new gateway – Tomokanga Te Whei O - opened in 2006. It was made by some of the whanau, who attended carving classes for that purpose. I haven’t been able to find out anything about the canoe, which sits to one side of the wharenui.

Northland April 2009. Ajr
Across the road, I found the cute little St Isaac’s Anglican Church and the large memorial to Tupuna Eru and Te Tawaka. Eru had donated the land for the urupa (cemetery) and the church, which opened on August 11, 1898 – also, strangely, during continuous rain. Opening services at the time were conducted in te Reo Maori and although the church continues to be under the guidance of the Anglican Diocese, care and maintenance duties were handed back to the descendants of Eru and Te Tawaka in the 1980s. The little red tool shed at the rear of the church, was built in 2004 with money raised by staging a Gravediggers’ Ball.

Museum Graphics

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. April 2009. Ajr

I spent almost a full day in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington and I came away with fabulous books, photographs I loved and a head buzzing with visual and verbal stimulation. I love that the musem has such a strong visual focus, that it does everything possible to captivate its audience with colour, pattern and texture. I photographed these cool Maori graphics in the corridor that leads the way to the museum's contemporary Te Marae, a unique 21st century carved meetinghouse. www.tepapa.govt.nz.

East Cape Rugby

Hicks Bay, East Cape, North Island. May 2009. Ajr

I rolled down into remote little Hicks Bay yesterday afternoon to find a zillion cars crowded into and around the local sports ground. I had to find out what was happening. Half the district had turned out for a rugby match. Loud cheering and jeering and lots of laughter - a good time being had by all.

Art in the Street

Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

I came upon this sculpture on Queen Street outside Burger King. It's called "Te Waka Taumata o Horotiu" by contemporary Maori artist, Fred Graham.

Photographing Patu

River Birches, Turangi. April 2009. Ajr

I snapped this contemporary carved patu (club) at the beautiful hideaway, River Birches on the banks of the Tongariro River. http://www.riverbirches.co.nz/

High and Dry

Bay of Islands, Northland. April 2009. Ajr

I came upon this canoe quite unexpectedly when I was looking for Keretu Marae down a side road on my way to Paihia. I've been unable to find out anything about it. It sits on a patch of grass above a marshly river bank edged with thick rushes and mangroves not far from the marae, a large, hilltop burial ground and a cute little primary school further down the road.

Wall Designs

National Museum Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. April 2009. Ajr

I loved this wall finish in the cafe at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. I suspect the design is derived from, or inspired by traditional Maori tukutuku panelling. www.tepapa.govt.nz

Bright Lights

Light up the Tiki

Another example of our favourite traditional Maori icon being 'adopted' by contemporary culture.

Capital Crafts

Beautiful Bone Heru

(combs)

Spotted in Wellington recently

Hoardings Art

Britomart, Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

This is another set of paintings on the construction hoardings at Auckland's Britomart, down by the waterfront. I'm not sure if these works are part of the hoardings exhibition, "Bare Rock and Backbones" or not; but they may as well be as they run right on from the easily identifiable exhibition works. I'm sure someone will set me right on the matter. www.britomart.org

Tiki Time

Ake, Taihape. April 2009. Ajr

It's an understatement to say the hei tiki is making a big contemporary comeback. As I travel around NZ I'm seeing hundreds of them - in all sizes, in multiple mediums from plastic to felt to resin, glass, greenstone, rubber, wood, paper, ceramics and more. I don't know whether to be excited and pleased or shocked and appalled. I photographed these two cuties - rubber I think - at the very excellent Maori crafts gallery, Ake in Taihape.

Encouraging the Younger Generations

Whakarewarewa, Rotorua. May 2009. Ajr

How cool is this! At the kapa haka performance at Whakarewarewa in Rotorua today, all the little girls joined, flapping their pois about and swaying to the music. No one minded. No one sent them away.Everyone just carried on as normal. And normal it is, for these little ones grow up in a performing environment. They learn the song and dance routines young and they carry on to perform as teenagers and adults, taking over when their parents 'retire' from the stage. There's a lovely sense of continuity about it that I found quite inspiring. www.whakarewarewa.com

Exploring the Hokianga

Hokianga, Northland. April 2009. Ajr

I was very taken with this marae - especially by the fact that I timed it perfectly for a lawn mowing shot. I couldn't stop and explore more of Tauteihiihi Marae because I was late for the Hokianga ferry that was going to take me from Kohukohu to Rawene.

Maori Place Names - 8

If my geographical memory serves me correctly, I photographed this sign between Hikurangi and Kawakawa in Northland. I don't have a map handy to check and I've now been down so many dozens of side roads on my trip north that I'm becoming a little confused. If anyone thinks I've made a mistake, please correct me by writing a comment. (I'll tell you about the marae in a separate post soon).

Maori Bookends

Auckland Museum. April 2009. Ajr

I photographed these beautiful ceramic bookends at Auckland Museum recently and was very disappointed to discover they had no label. I left without discovering their origins. Quite by chance, two days later, I was in a Britomart cafe reading magazines when I picked up an auction catalogue. There was another pair exactly the same. Turns out they are Crown Lynn Wharetana Ware - "Pair of bookends modelled as moko mokai" the caption said; and expected to reach around NZ$2,500-NZ$3,500.

Playing Ball

Whakarewarewa, Rotorua. may 2009. Ajr

I'm staying very close to Whakarewarewa in Rotorua for the next three nights, so this evening, just as the sun was setting, I wandered down to see what was happening on this side of the river. I came upon this group of local Maori kids playing an impromptu rugby game outside the main wharenui. All 'very Rotorua' with the hot steam rising into the cooling evening air and tour buses pulling in to the nearby hotel. www.whakarewarewa.com

A Northland Welcome

Northland. April 2009. Ajr

I love the way Northland iwi and hapu have set up these big welcome signs on the edge of their 'territories.' It makes the whole Northland travel experience so much more interesting. I stopped to photograph this one just before I reached the fascinating little community of Whirinaki on my way to the Hokianga in the Far North.

Calling Bicultural Art

Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

This is the Auckland Yellow Pages telephone directory - a rather nice little bicultural statement called "Woven Together," by Jennifer Gotlschalk.

Queen Street Figure

Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

This handsome figure stands on the corner of Queen and Quay Streets. It's entitled "Maori Figure in Kaitaka Cloak" and has been sculpted by Molly MacAlister

Meet the People - 13

Coopers Beach, Northland. April 2009. Ajr

Another in the Series Meet the People – Contemporary Maori Doing Ordinary and Extraordinary Things – Michael Venner (iwi:Ngapuhi; hapu: Ngati Toki/Mangakahia), was brought up at Pakotai between Whangarei and Dargaville in heartland Ngapuhi country before his family moved to Auckland to live. Now 38, Michael (above right) is the owner of the very successful Coppers Cafe, which he opened three years ago at Northland’s Coopers Beach and now runs with his younger brother, Gerard, 30 (above left). Michael began cooking at 14 and was classically trained as a chef in the early 1980s. After working in Queenstown for five years, he traveled abroad and spent the next twelve years in England, where he studied for a degree in social anthropology and tourism management. When he returned to New Zealand, Michael fell back on his strong Maori cultural background and was drawn to his Northland homeland.

Coopers Cafe, Northland. April 2009 Ajr

“The Far North has always been a hidden gem. It’s one of the most under-developed areas in terms of tourism, yet there is a wealth of interesting and talented people up here,” he says. Keen to be part of the area’s development potential, Michael set up Coopers Café with the intention of providing contemporary international cuisine – “doing simple food well.” He’s also keen to develop and encourage tourism and employment opportunities in the small holiday town of 3,000 people. “Lots of people are coming back into the Doubtless Bay region for all sorts of reasons and during the summer months, the Coopers Beach population swells to around 20,000. As a business, we want to become a leader in the region’s tourism and hospitality industry and hopefully offer our experience to others. Being Maori is a very big part of who we are and I’m encouraged by the fact that many Maori are now realizing their assets and self-worth and are finding their place at the table. www.cooperscafe.co.nz

Roaming Back Roads

Central North Island, April 2009. Ajr

One of the greatest pleasures I'm having on my current road trip around New Zealand, is driving down sideroads and discovering Maori marae I've never seen before. Whenever I see a marae sign, I turn off, hoping it's not going to be too far off the highway...... mostly because I'm supposed to be travelling to a (self-made) schedule. On this particular day, I went in search of Kuratahi Marae, off the highway just north of Taihape. I drove inland through a beautiful golden-leafed valley for what seemed like miles and miles and miles. I finally came upon the tiny settlement of Mataroa. I hunted for the marae itself and couldn't find it anywhere and finally had to give up. I had, afer all, travelled nearly 15km off the highway. I did stop long enough to snap this cute-as-a-button church though. It's St Georges of Mataroa.

Urban Marae

Taupo. April 2009. Ajr

I was rather taken with this little marae. It's one I came upon quite unexpectedly as I whizzed through Taupo. I spotted the road sign and reversed back - right into heartland suburbia! Kuiwai Marae is on a hill, wedged between domestic properties, overlooking Lake Taupo. There's a big tree - a totara I think - growing in front; and the wharenui is called Kurapoto.

Toying with Dolls

Auckland April 2009. Ajr

I seem to be developing a weakness for Maori dolls. I wonder if I feel another collection coming on. I photographed this one in an Auckland secondhand store and have been wishing ever since that I bought it. Always the way!

Rock Art

Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

I don't know anything about these rocks other than that they sit in the square at Britomart in Auckland. They've obviously been created as a contemporary representation of Maori rock drawings; and maybe they are part of the exhibition held there recently on the construction hoardings? Maybe someone can enlighten me? www.britomart.org

A Museum Moment

I photographed this powerful carving in The Buried Village Museum in Rotorua during my 2007 Frommers New Zealand road trip. www.buriedvillage.co.nz

More From Plastic Maori

Shots from Plastic Maori at TheNewDowse, Lower Hutt. April 2009. Ajr

Here's another couple of shots from "Plastic Maori" at TheNewDowse in Lower Hutt - one of the best exhibitions of contemporary Maori art I've seen in ages. If you're in Wellington and have an interest, make sure you make time to see it. www.newdowse.org.nz

A Kete Display

More Woven Kete

@

Hokonui Marae, Gore

Feb 2009 Ajr

Tiki, Tiki, Everywhere

Tiki, Auckland. April 2009. Ajr

To say that the hei tiki is the decorative symbol of the moment is a total understatement! They are everywhere! In every conceivable medium you can think of. I loved these fat little felt tiki that I spied in an Auckland retail outlet. They're bigger than most I've seen - cushion size almost. Maybe that's what they're meant to be - cushions. Or small pillows?

On the Way North

Northland. April 2009 Ajr

Seen on my drive north yesterday.

An Island Legend

Horomaka Island, Port Levy, Banks Peninuslar, Canterbury. March 2009. Ajr

This is little Horomaka Island in Port Levy on Banks Peninsular – a place of special significance to the Maori of Koukourarata Runanga. It’s a small, pine-covered island that, according to legend provides shelter for a giant octopus that lives beneath it, guarding the coastline between Banks Peninsular and the Marlborough Sounds. Horomaka was named after the great war canoe, Makawhiua that headed a Ngai Tahu contingent into Canterbury seeking revenge against Tutekawa, who had killed the wives of Tuahuriri. The initial assault failed (horo) hence Horomaka. Today the Department of Conservation in consultation with Koukourarata Runanga, is drawing up a Restoration Plan aimed at replanting native vegetation on the island. An archaeological report has already been carried out and discussions are underway with the local community to assess the best approach. www.doc.govt.nz