2024

A Year of Growth and Community at Te Herenga Waka o Orewa

Te Herenga Waka o Orewa has continued its legacy of fostering community and culture in 2024. This year has been marked by significant achievements, including:

  • Community Events: The marae hosted a series of successful community events, including Matariki celebrations with the help of our partners at the Orewa Surf Life Saving Club. We were truly delighted to see how the community has embraced this new coastie tradition. We so look forward to bringing you this event again in 2025.  Waitangi commemorations, and cultural workshops. These events have brought together people of all ages and backgrounds to share in Māori traditions and values.

  • Community Partnerships: Te Herenga Waka o Orewa has strengthened its partnerships with local organisations, schools, and businesses. These collaborations have enabled the marae to deliver a wider range of services and programs to the community.

  • Infrastructure Development: The marae is continuously improving the facility and grounds, making them more accessible to the community. We are currently working towards building a healthier awa, restoring the waterway and its surrounds

As we look to the future, Te Herenga Waka o Orewa remains committed to its mission of preserving Māori culture and fostering a strong, vibrant community.  

We look forward to connecting with the hapori in 2025.

Rīpoata Heamana 


03 August 2022 

“He tāwhiti kē tō koutou haerenga, ki te kore haere tonu

He tino nui rawa ō koutou mahi, kia kore e mahi nui tonu.”

“You have come too far not to go further

You have done too much not to do more.”

Nā Tā Hemi Henare 

E mara, tēnā koutou katoa.

Ko tāku mihi tuatahi he reo maioha ki te Atua. Nāna mātou i āwhina hei tutuki pai i ā mātou take tini i te tau kua pāhemo ake. Nō reira, e te kāmaka, e pākū ana te whenua ki tō korōriatanga. Ki ngā whare taonga o te marae nei, Ko Hikia te Ao, Ko Manawa Reka ā-Rongo, ko Te Whare Aroha, Ko Manawaora, ko Emanuera, tēnā koutou. E ngā tūpuna, a Ruth Fox, a James de Thierry rātou ko Maddox Preston, kei te moenga roa o ngā mātua tūpuna koutou. Moe mai rā, moe mai rā, moe mai rā. Waihoki koutou katoa i mau i ngā kākahu taratara i te tau kua hipa, haere atu rā ki ō koutou ake Hawaiiki.

Āpiti hono, tātai hono, ko koutou ki a koutou te hunga wairua

Āpiti hono, tātai hono, ko tātou ngā mōrehu e kawe tonu ana i ō koutou waihotanga

Tīhei wā mauri ora!

Ngā Mahi i Mahia - Past Achievements

2021, another unprecedented year in terms of the COVID virus. Marae hireage income has been affected due to many organisations, continuing online delivery of programmes and service throughout the first term of this year. As a reminder, I remain committed to the ideal, that our own Māori healthcare service, should remain one of our highest, future priorities. Having said thus, finding the right timing, is definitely a challenge.

The previous year has seen some good progress in terms of our ongoing construction and maintenance. Our disabled carpark is 90% percent complete and will remain unfinished, (but usable) until the footpath crossing application challenges are alleviated. Regarding the proposed cultural centre, we are now in the final stages of building consent application. I will start pricing the full contact for the project with Harbour City Homes once the resource consent comes through. In this COVID climate we need to remain cautious in terms of starting a project of this size. Especially given the soaring prices and product shortages.

The marae continues to experience strong demand for our unique services. Weekly kura reo are set to return to the marae over the following two weeks. Wānanga, PD, social services, health services, consultation and marae experiences continue to dominate the main activities onsite. Succession of tasks has provided some relief on my time, and I am thankful to those of you who have helped to shoulder the workload. I have just resigned from Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi to free up my time to focus more on progressing our organisational goals without having to fight the system all the time!

Janet Fitzgerald has decided to retire from the Local Board this year and both her and Julia Parfitt have supported the need for Māori candidates in the upcoming elections in October 2022. Both Trish and I have decided to stand as candidates in this year’s elections. We will be part of ‘Team Coast’ alongside Lia Shelford and Jake Law.

Understandably, due to ongoing COVID challenges our respective komiti portfolios remain at a status quo. Social Media platforms are progressing well with some new and innovative ideas being implemented.

Ngā mihi - Acknowledgments

At this stage I would like to warmly thank all our whānau whānui who have volunteered, participated and or supported our efforts this past year. A special thanks to Love Soup for their continued support to this marae and our whānau puku.

It is also important to acknowledge our funders who over the past year have assisted us financially to achieve our goals. COGS, whose grant contributed to the salary for our paid Administrator. Lottery Community Facilities, whose grant contributed to administrative and organisational costs of running a marae. ACC Cultural Initiatives Fund, whose grant contributed to the completion of our disabled carpark this year.

Kua Putaina te Mātau - The Realisation

Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae continues to prove its worth to this community and as COVID restrictions wane, demand for its services is once again gaining momentum. The marae continues to forge new relationships within the community such as, Whangaparāoa Āpōpō, Ahutoetoe and Nukumea Primary Schools, Kristin School, Kingsway Preschool, Steps Forward, AUT and several others. On the back of a fantastic Matariki celebration this year we need to continue to build on promoting annual Māori celebrations with a key role in Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Tū Māia and Waitangi Day.

He Anga Hakamua - Looking Forward

Some of us have started working on capturing video footage on the history of the marae. This is a work in progress but needs a good nudge along this coming year. Especially given the demand for stories regarding local Māori histories. I will be work collaboratively with local kura to apply for funding to employ a researcher to assist me in establishing a local Māori history narrative.

He Waka Eke Noa!

Lastly but not least, I acknowledge the komiti for your support, your dedication to your roles and your ongoing faith in the development of this invaluable community resource. As always, I look forward to seeing what we can achieve as a komiti in the coming year!

Nāku iti nei,

Kereama Nathan

Heamana Te Herenga Waka o Orewa 2021-22

He Tūranga Waka Whaikaha Hōu

He tūranga waka whaikaha hōu kei te Marae nei. We now have a new disabled car park located at our top entrance and can offer our kaumātua and whānau with disabilities easy access to our Marae.

I hoki mai a Mike Pine me tōna tīka ki te hakarite i te papa mō tō mātou tūranga waka hōu. We welcomed back Mike Pine and his digger to work on this project. This was a big job that came with some challenges and setbacks. Ahakoa te aha i tutuki te mahi. However, at the end of the day - we got the job done!

Te Taenga Mai o ngā Akongā AUT

I tera wiki, i tae mai wētahi ākonga haumanu korikori o AUT ki te marae nei. Nau mai, hoki mai ki tō tātou marae! Last week, 160 AUT physiotherapy students were welcomed onto our marae, over a 3 day period. This was, for many students, their first visit to a marae. These students now have a marae to call their own! Nō tātou te whiwhi mō tēnei hononga hou. We all feel blessed to have this new connection between Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae and AUT.

He hono tāngata e kore e motu, kāpā he taura waka e motu.

Bonds between people cannot be broken, unlike the severable canoe rope.

Matariki Ahunga Nui, He Hakawātea

Matariki atua ka eke mai i te rangi e roa e Whāngainga iho ki te mata o te tau e roa e.
Divine Matariki come forth from the far-off heaven, bestow the first fruits of the year upon us

I te ata pongipongi o Pipiri i whakakau a Matariki me ōna kāhui e korakora ana i te rangi. I tahuri tātou ki te mātai i a Ranginui raurarahi, i te wehi o te pō, i ngā tohu hakahirahira mō te tau e heke mai. Kua roa a Matariki e noho ana hei tohu o te tau hou. E hono ana a Matariki me ōna kāhui ki te hunga mate. I maharatia e tātou ngā mate o te tau kua hinga atu, kua hinga mai. Ka kōkiri tātou ki te hakatewhatewha i te ao ukiuki hei ruku tātou i te mātauranga Māori, ka tōia iho hei akoranga mō nāianei rangi, mō nāianei ākonga.

In the predawn darkness of Pipiri, the glittering cluster of Matariki rises. We turn our gaze to the great expanse of Ranginui, The Sky Father, to the magnanimity of the night and search for signs that will inform us of what is to come in the year ahead. The star cluster of Matariki has long been one of natural world's indicators that a new year is beginning. It is a time to remember those who have past. A time to dive into traditional teachings and knowledge, and bring these forth to guide us, not only today but in the years to come.

This year Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae organised a special event to celebrate our first official Matariki public holiday and chose this auspicious date to preform a hakawātea (cleansing ceremony). This hakawātea was performed to clear away the heaviness and burden's the pandemic brought so that we can move forward, together, as a community.

On the 24th of June at 6am close to 400 people gathered at Orewa Beach to celebrate Matariki. We held a hakawātea (cleansing ceremony) to lift the burdens of the past couple of years, clearing the way forward into the new year. We recited karakia before the sunrise, followed by waiata, shared kai and kite flying

A huge shout out to our community groups and businesses who supported our Matariki event: Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar (specialty coffee and muffins), Salt Trust & Northgate Church (soup, hot drinks and buns), Te Whakahaere Āhuarangi (sponsoring the sausage sizzle), Future Whangaparāoa & Mairangi Arts Centre (kites and activities), Orewa Surf Lifesaving Club (lights and power), Zero Waste (ethical rubbish collection), Hibiscus Coast Astronomical Society (star gazing activities) as well as For Purpose NZ and Andre de Beer for their donations.


Kapa Kōrero: Te Reo Māori Conversational Group

I te hekenga o ngā ture mate Karona heriheri, i huihui anō te Kapa Kōrero i te Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar Whangaparāoa. Ia wiki ka tukuna karakia, ka kōrerotia, ka hakarongohia, ka waiatatia, ka purei kemu nōki te rōpū i roto i te reo Māori. He wā hakahoahoa, he wā hakangāhau nōki.

When rules around gatherings and mandates lifted, our Kapa Kōrero group started up again at Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar Whangaparāoa. Every Saturday we get together to karakia (pray), speak, listen, sing and play games in te reo Māori.

The core members of this group are graduates of kura reo (language courses) at Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae. Kapa Kōrero is a peer group rather than teacher led group, it is a space where everyone is welcome and encouraged to give te reo Māori a go! 'Ako atu ako mai, āwhina atu āwhina mai ' (We learn together, we help each other). You can come along every week or choose to join a group targeted at your level of language.

He tōa e hakamana ana i te reo Māori: The Cafe promoting Te Reo Māori

I te ata hapara i te Tīhema 4th i 2020 ka hakawāteatia te toa mo te tūwheratanga o Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar Whangaparāoa. On the 4th of December 2020, just before sunrise, Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae whānau performed a blessing ceremony for the opening of a very special coffee shop that overlooks the Whangaparāoa peninsula: Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar Whangaparāoa. Since it's opening this special little shop has been spreading te reo Māori alongside freshly roasted coffee and delicious baked goods.

Ko Yuka he ākonga reo Māori o mua i Te Herenga o Orewa Marae. E ngākau nui ana ia ki te reo Māori me te tikanga Māori. E ai ki a Yuka, he āhua orite te ahurea Māori ki te ahurea Hapanihi. Yuka is a former student of te reo Māori at Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae and has a great love for the Māori language and culture. She has found many similarities between her own Japanese culture and the Māori culture.

Yuka and her husband Ken have incorporated te reo Māori into the daily running of the shop. Te reo Māori signage, books and games can be seen all over the shop, with templates given to customers who wish to try ordering in te reo Māori. Many regular customers have learned and gained confidence in using greetings and everyday phrases in te reo Māori by practising with Yuka. Dear Deer Coffee Roasting Bar Whangaparāoa is a favourite for locals due to it's warm, friendly service. Ken and Yuka embody Manaakitanga (hospitality) a key concept also in Japanese culture.

Yuka, supported by Ken, runs a weekly Kapa Kōrero (Te reo Māori conversation group) at the shop (when in green light setting) welcoming people of all backgrounds and abilities. Kapa Kōrero caters for speakers at all levels of te reo Māori. Sessions alternate between the fundamentals of the language and rumaki reo (full immersion). Rumaki reo sessions are an opportunity for members to hold conversations and interact fully in te reo Māori. It's all about giving it a go: Pai tū pai hinga!

Yuka and Ken not only make and roast amazing coffee they also keep busy volunteering around the community at our marae, local schools and at community events through their mahi (work) with Pest Free Hibiscus Coast and the cultural group 'Hibiscus Tuakana'.

Pikitia Pātu: Community Murals

E hakatika ana, e hakapaipai ana a Holly Aymes rātou ko ōna kaiāwhina i ngā wāhi e hakahapa ana huri noa i Te Raki Paewhenua. Holly Aymes and her beautiful whānau of helpers have started their mission to bring colour, beauty and and a sense of community spirit to areas of our community in need of some TLC. On the first and second weekends of March, Holly and her team painted a mural at Ashley Reserve at Long Bay on a fence that had been the target of continued tagging and graffiti. This mural was designed to reflect the green landscape of Long Bay and ties in the themes of Papatūānuku (Mother Earth) and te taiao (nature).

Holly Aymes (Ngāti Kahungungu, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Porou) is one of our Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae Komiti members. Holly is a local artist, mother of 4, an alumni of our Te Herenga Waka Kura Reo classes and an active member of Red Beach Playcentre. Holly has been approached by the Graffiti Coordinator at Recreational Services to create murals to reduce the amount of graffiti and beautify our community spaces.

Holly's next project will be a mural under Orewa Bridge. We, the marae whānau, will be rolling up our sleeves to help her with this project and we are asking for others to join us. Holly is envisioning an ātua māori & moana kaupapa for the mural and will need a team around her to get this project completed. Holly will create the template and her painting team will help to fill and colour the design under her guidance and instruction. Holly is always looking for skilful volunteers, if you would like to be part of this awesome kaupapa and have knack with painting contact Holly: 0224070321 or email holly.kurt@gmail.com

He Rā Whatiwhati Kō: A Working Bee

Mei 2022

E iwi marae kore, ehara. E marae iwi kore, he moumou.
People without a Marae, are nothing. A Marae without people, is wasted.

I noho mokemoke te marae i te wā o te hōrapa haere o te urutā. Ahakoa he mahi tonu te marae i ngā wā rāhui mate karona, kāhore i aheitia tātou ki te huihui ki te whānau tokomaha. Nō reira e tika ana nāianei ki te tūwhera anō te kēti, ki te karanga atu nōki ki te mārae whānau whānui: hoki mai, hoki mai, hoki mai ki tō tātou marae. I tērā Hātarei i mahi tahi te mārae whānau whānui i te mārae ki te hakapaipai te mārae a roto, a waho nei. Ahakoa he rā whatiwhait kō, he rā whakawhānaunga, he rā pārekareka nōki!

The marae was built for our hapori and is happiest when it is busy and full. However, this was not possible during the lockdowns and restrictions of the past 2 years. Fortunately we are now able to open wide our doors again and welcome everyone back to their marae. Last Saturday the marae held a Pī Mahi (working bee) where friends and family of the marae came together to clean, tidy and hakahihiko te mauri (reenergise) our marae.

The day started with a Pōhiri to welcome our whānau and tauira (family and students) who have joined the marae over the last 2 years but haven't yet received a formal welcome due to covid restrictions. Jobs were then assigned and the work of cleaning, gardening, scrubbing, dusting and pampering our marae began. We managed to achieve a lot and enjoyed a hard earned kai (shared lunch) at the end of a day's hard work. 

Kua arohaina tō tātou marae The mana of Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae has been acknowledged and our marae has been cherished.