Mai I Hawaiki………………….

…………………...……..Te Ahi Ka Roa


“From our ancestral homelands to our fires of today”

“The story of Ngati Rarua and Te Atiawa in Motueka.These tribes established their ahi kā, their home fires, here in the 1820s. Through times of plenty and times of great hardship, families from both tribes held to the land and kept the ahi ka burning”

This morning, very early (4.30am) we attended the opening of this exhibition at our local Museum. It was a moving and informative experience and very special to have been part of an important occasion for the local iwi.

This stone is one of three - visitors to the Museum are invited to touch these stones to connect with the whenua (land) of Ngati Rarua and Te Atiawa.

I have added a photo of all three stones as an extra.
- The one on the left is from the Taranaki region of NZ
- The centre one is from the local Motueka River, etched with the shape of an open hand
- The one on the right has three feathers which represent the Taranaki settlement Parihaka that used peaceful resistance to withstand crown confiscation of land. 

Extra photos
1: Maori arrival in NZ, settlements & migration to Motueka
2: The three stones 
3: Close-up view of the stone feathers


Thank you for the stars, hearts and comments for yesterday’s blip. The evening light was quite unusual and the two ducks were quietly enjoying themselves and not bothered by our cameras.