Tena kotou e te whanau me nga whanaunga o Te Rawhiti. He ra paki tenei i te kainga nei, me te pai o te kaanapanapa mai o te moana, e pari ana te tai i aianei, ka hiahia hoki ki te haere ki te hii ika!
Hikoi to Pakiri
We have just returned from a hui with Ngatimanuhiri Hapu at Pakiri, Leigh, with regard to the translocating of the tieke/saddleback and another species (cannot think of the name right now) from Tiritiri Matangi to Motuarohia Island in Ipipiri.. It is a formality we wished to carry out, as we did at Rereahu Marae just out of Benneydale in the Waikato area, at about the middle of last year.
Fleur Corbett and Richard Robbins, members of the Guardians of the Bay os Islands Trust and who work very closely with us, nga Hapu o Te Rawhiti. Uncle Moka, Auntie Hine, Kei and Hiko Tauariki, Hone and Gloria Matenga, Rob McPherson (whose late brother was Principal of St Stephens Boys College), Russell and myself. Richard drove our rental van while Fleur drove her vehicle carrying all our luggage. We met Blandy and Isobel Castro, Senior Lecturer at Massey University, at our lodgings at Pakiri.
We left from my place, picked up Kei and Hiko along the beach, picked up Gloria and Hone in Ngaiotonga who offered the prayer of safe travel, Unc Moka and Aunt Hine waited in Whangarei for us. We stopped in Wellsford for a cuppa, but these ‘country bumpkins’ headed straight over to MacD’s (we’re all sick of tio, tipatipa, kina, ika!) we welcomed the change of diet! While there, we received a message from Blandy requesting a few more groceries and of course I couldn’t resist walking past the wine shelves without adding to my stock of PG!
We were met by Blandy and Isabel at the cabin site where they had already sussed out our accommodation which were warm and comfortable – I had one to myself, as did the couples. Before our delicious boil-up dinner, we had a korero about the format for tomorrow. We all had an early night, I caught up with my paper work before hitting the sack.
When we arrived at the Ngatimanuhiri Trust Office, they weren’t quite ready for us, but that was okay, we took advantage of the lovely warm sun. I was surprised that we were accorded a powhiri, because the building is not a marae as such, but was an old run-down disused building which the local Ngatimanuhiri ‘did’ up and it now serves as their office and meeting place.
Kaumatua, Ringi Brown: CEO Mook Hohneck: Chairperson John Paki and female Admin Staff – Te Ao Rosieur, Jessie Chapman, Fiona McKenzie.
(Side-tracking a bit. John Paki arrived late, but it was good to see him, as years ago, our Church committee under the chairmanship of Wi Tamihana Rata used to run raffles every week at the Lion Tavern in Fort Street, Akarana, right opposite the Maori Affairs Department. Now when the Maori Affairs staff finished work they’d all congregate at the Tavern, they were our regular customers – the late dear old Monty Wikiriwhi,Selwyn Murupaenga, Sonny George (now living in Waikare) John Paki, Sonny Taniora, Hori Bennett, to name a few. This is the first time I had met John since those days and it was great to reminisce and catch up.)
Hone opened up our korero, followed by a run-down by Blandy regarding the translocation, what is involved how it is done from the training of the boys to the feeding and catching of them right to the caging of them. The priority is the safety of nga manu, as stress-free as possible with the minimum time from caging them, their transfer by helicopter to the time of their release. Scientist Dr Kevin Parker is our helicopter pilot. The idea was well received, after questions by the hunga kainga, and were agreeable to the programme. Naku i tautoko nga whakamarama ki te Roopu, me taku powhiri ki a ratou ki a haere mai ratou a tera wa, kia kite ratou i te kainga hou o a ratou taonga. (I stood to support the Take presented by our speakers, and invited our whanaunga to come to Te Rawhiti on the day when we carry out the formalities pertaining to nga taonga o Tane Mahuta being released)
Richard and Fleur of the Guardians of the Bay of Islands also gave a run-down of their role they played with the support of Ngati Kuta and Patukeha, with whom they worked very closely.
We then partook of the hakari served, after which we took our leave and came home on full tummies!
No reira e te whanau he hui tino pai tenei, te pai o te whakawhanaungatanga, me te kaupapa hoki i haerengia e matou, he huarahi hei painga mo te ngahere me nga taonga a o tatou maatua hei paingahoki mo a tatou uri whakatupu ake.
Therefore whanau, this was a satisfying hui, the getting together of new-found whaanau, including the reason we were there, a pathway for the good of the forest/bush and the treasures of our ancestors, for the benefit of our up and coming generations.
That’s it from me whanau,
Noho ora mai kotou i roto i te arohanoa a to tatou Matua nu i te Rangi.
Arohanui, na te kuia nei o te marae o Te Rawhiti.
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