began with tai chi on the marae atea, followed by a talk about the marae, its gardens and aspirations. After this, the hui hit the road. First was a visit to the sustainable waste programme in Kaikōura (hosted by Andrew), a marvellous project that everyone was impressed with. Many even spent a few dollars in the recycled shop there. This was followed by a stop at South Bay, where some more kōrero was given on local history, and then everyone had the chance to take a walk up the walkway or down to the rocks. The tide was out so many opted for a wander on the foreshore. From here the rōpū took their convoy to Fyffe House on the Kaikōura Peninsula, where they were given talk about the old whaling days, followed by lunch on the lawn.
each others’ marae, regional activities and horticulture. The second main hui is generally around September each year for the ‘business end’ of Tähuri Whenua, the AGM. This is usually somewhere central and this year will be at Parewahawaha Marae in Bulls (date in September yet to be finalised). The 2011 hui is planned for February at Owae Marae in North Taranaki, and will be over four days to allow more time for members and local presenters to talk to the hui. Membership to the collective is open to anybody who wants to share the interests and objectives of the collective. Some information is on the webpage www.tahuriwhenua. org, or you can contact any one of the committee or members who will be able to give you more information. Membership is not restricted to just Māori, rather it is based around the interest in Māori horticulture, and we encourage schools, businesses, marae as well as individuals, Māori and Tauiwi alike. During the year many smaller hui eventuate and Tähuri Whenua participate as much as it is possible. In 2010 we are supporting an East Coast organic hui over Easter, the harvest and hangi to celebrate the end of the taewa season at Palmerston North in April and later some workshops on establishing gardens.
After lunch there was a tour with Maurice Manawatu and his whānau, who run Māori Tours. This proved to be a great experience and took up most of the afternoon. Then we went from Peketa in the south to Puhipuhi Bush north of Kaikōura and many stops in-between, including afternoon tea at South Bay again. The kōrero and songs will be long remembered and we were all thankful the weather was so good and encourage everyone to get out and participate in these hīkoi. The jewel in the crown for the hui was the hākari held on Saturday evening. True to their nature of being vegetable growers, the vegetables that our hosts provided had come from different parts of the motu; kamokamo and taewa, kümara and squash, complemented the kaimoana that was spread in front of us: kina, päua and blue cod. What a great way to finish the day. And following true tikanga, we all gave it our best shot to eat as much kai as we could, but still some remained. Pai rawa te kai. In the evening there was a talk in the whare from Mark Solomon on Māori development and mära kai, and then a general discussion from everyone there. We also took the opportunity to acknowledge the whānau involved in getting the hui organised and recognised kuia Darcia, inviting her to join with the kaumātua rōpū of Tähuri Whenua. It was a great opportunity for the collective to consolidate its relationship with Ngāi Tahu and Takahanga specifically. While all this was going on, one of the nannies had a discreet corner of the marae and was teaching the moko the art of weaving flax. They were loving it and keeping quiet at the same time.
One of the current projects which will interest many people is the Spud-in-a-bucket project, which was initiated by Tähuri Whenua in 2007. In this project, the collective has been supported by Te Puni Kökiri for development and administration. We are currently developing a curriculum-focused resource for the 2010– 11 season and hope to be ready to start distributing materials around August this year. The project is a simple one. We provide kura, köhanga and mainstream schools, who have identified themselves through the expression of interest form on our webpage, with seed taewa (Māori potatoes) and an information handout. The children are encouraged to grow a taewa/potato in a bucket throughout the summer. As school is closed over Christmas and New Year, they generally take the bucket home for the break and target a harvest day in February or March. In 2009 we had over 4000 children doing the project and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One of our members at Kakanui has canvassed most of the schools in North Otago and they all grew taewa this season. Several schools in Southland are
Sunday was time for karakia and a poroporoaki before everyone started heading home. It was such a short hui really but one packed with activities, kōrero and waiata. Lots of photos and farewells later, people made their way home. Many were on the same ferry on Sunday afternoon, and stayed in convoy heading to Picton. Some stayed on for a few days to experience Kaikōura and Te Waipounamu even more. The collective has two main hui each year, one in late summer to bring everyone together and to experience
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