Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara
E aku rakatira, tēnei te mihi maioha ki a koutou e noho tata ana ki te kāika, tēnā koutou. Ki a mātou kā taura here i Te Whanganui-ā-Tara e kaingākau nui ana ki ngā whakamārama mō ngā kaupapa o Ngāi Tahu, tēnā tātou katoa.
Ngāi Tahu whānui came together in December last year to celebrate the festive season and spend a relaxing afternoon of activities with our tamariki – fun in the sun with kai. Thanks to Teone Sciascia and Whetu Moataane for coming along and providing an update on Whai Rawa, Aoraki Bound and other Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu news and opportunities. Thanks also to Whaea Carol Reihana for sharing your community networks in Paekākāriki, with us.
Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara is an informal group of interested tribal members who reside in Wellington and surrounding districts. Our main purpose is whakawhanaukataka – meeting whānau from our hapū and iwi and building a network in Wellington.
We are looking forward to being more active this year so Ngāi Tahu ki Te Whanganui-ā-Tara are looking for volunteers to help organise and co-ordinate events. Please contact Angela Wallace (swindells.wallace@ paradise.net.nz) if you are interested in helping out with activities, or if you want to be added to the email group.
While many of us remain connected to our hapū, much can be gained by getting together to find out about opportunities through Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and to learn waiata so that we can participate in tribal events in Wellington.
Kāi Tahu ki Tauranga Moana Rare kākāriki released
John Heaphy and Annis Sommerville release kākāriki on Tuhua.
John Heaphy and Annis Sommerville, ready for take-off.
On 5 April our Ngāi Tahu Department of Conservation Officer, John Heaphy invited our committee member Annis Somerville to accompany him and helicopter pilot, Glenn Oliff to fly to Tuhua for the special task of releasing twelve orange-fronted kākāriki. Annis and John flew from Tauranga to Rotorua to meet the plane from Christchurch and collect the special cargo. After a quick trip across the ocean, they landed in the Tuhua crater and released the birds in the nearby bush. These
birds have a high risk of extinction, so our local Ngāi Tahu group is privileged to be part of their preservation. Our group took part in the initial bird release, which took place on Tuhua, with a pōwhiri, two years ago. We are grateful for John’s willingness to include us in his special venture. For Annis it was a magical trip never to be forgotten. Thank you John and good luck to all the little kākāriki which have made the journey up north.
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