A lovely water’s edge house filled with colourful art works in flax, mosaic and paint, looking across an inlet to Pahi, on the north-eastern Kaipara Harbour…a very restful place to take a break. We read books on the fascinating local history – including Dick Scott’s Seven Lives on Salt River, about early Maori occupation and […]
Who Owns Our Water?
April 19, 2016 by 3 Comments
When I saw this heading in huge capitals on a one-page article in the NZ Herald… SHOULD ONE RACE CONTROL NEW ZEALAND’S FRESH WATER? my first thought was “could this be an article about how Pakeha colonists have taken over the country’s natural water sources and used, abused, bought, sold, polluted , drained and destroyed so many, […]
Professor Ranginui Walker (1932 – 2016)
March 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
We are mourning the loss of a very inspiring Maori leader, Professor Ranginui Walker, of Whakatohea, and long-time resident of Tamaki Makaurau. Thousands gathered at Takaparawhau during the three days of his tangi to pay their respects to this activist and academic who has reshaped Maori-Pakeha relationships in Aotearoa. We went to the tangi on its […]
Tahuna Minhinnick (1960-2016)
March 19, 2016 by 1 Comment
We are also mourning the sudden death of Tahuna Minhinnick, aged only 56. We have known Tahuna and his family from Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua for almost thirty years, and worked with them during our 22 years on the Awhitu Peninsula. Tahuna Minhinnick’s death is a tragic loss to his whanau and his iwi. The son […]
Ruaumoko, Marama, Tar Baby
March 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Ruaumoko – was the struggle of light against dark, good against evil in a newly imagined Maori myth. Heroine Hine Ariki sought to calm the rumblings of Ruaumoko, the earthquake god, by defeating evil forces with the aid of winds, rain, mythical creatures and her own inner strength. The story was brought to life over four weeks […]
Korero Café and the Ranui Community Centre
February 18, 2016 by 1 Comment
After major renovations, the Ranui Community Centre and Korero Café reopened with a dawn blessing on Friday 29 January. Local stalwart Buffie Mawhinney and her team have re-used timber and other materials pulled out of the old building in very creative ways for walls and furnishings . The Auckland Council, Henderson-Massey Community Board and Community Trusts have all […]
An 80-year-old creates a political party…
February 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Charmaine drove to the Awhitu Regional Park on Saturday 13 February for the 80th birthday party of George Flavell, a kaumatua of Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, the people of the Awhitu Peninsula and beyond. And what a special event it was, too! George had arranged for his guests (more than a hundred of us – […]
Vagina Monologues for V-Day
February 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Vagina Monologues were written by Eve Ensler, based on interviews with many women, 20 years ago. We went to a splendid performance by the Shape Shift Collective (students and recent graduates from Unitec’s Performing and Screen Arts degree and other programmes), directed by Unitec lecturer Alexandra Whitham, at Te Pou Theatre. It was a fitting first […]
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