Ko te toa i a tini, i a mano o te tākata, ka roko anō i te hū o moho!!

He tau hāwere anō tō tātou Kura Reo Kāi Tahu ki Arowhenua. I taetae mai kā whānau reo Māori o te iwi, kā manawa tītī ki te whakapakari anō i tō tātou reo Kāi Tahu.

Kai aku pakoko tawhito o tō tātou reo, ko koutou tēnā kā tākata kauanuanu i whakahihiko, i whakaohooho kā manawa kia whai tou tātou i kā wawata o rātou mā mō tō tātou reo matahīapo. Kai kā pā whakawairua, arā ko pōua Kukupa me tāua Heather, ko kā whatukura a Takaroa, a Aunty Rānui, a Aunty Kiwa, a Aunty Lily, a Aunty Te Whe, te taumata kōrero. Ko koutou tēnā i tauwhiro i a mātou i te kura kua hori ake nei. Ko tō mātou waimaria hoki, i tae mai a Whaea Evelyn Tobin hai konohi mō te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. E kore nei kā mihi e mahiti i te wā. Ka rere tou i ruka i kā tai aroha. Tā te tamariki, tāna mahi he wāwāhi taha. He mihi hoki ki kā pū o te kahere, ara, Ngā Puhi nui tonu (Komene Cassidy rāua ko Boyd Paratene) me te putiputi i tū waekanui (Ana Tangaroa) mō ā koutou mahi whakaako, ā koutou mahi whakakahau tamariki.

Nei anō te owha ki kā hākui whākai pēpi, nohinohi hoki. Tēnā koutou e Piri koutou ko Manaia, ko Kelly-Ann, ko Celeste. Mei kore ake koutou katoa hai tiaki mai i a mātou tamariki!
E kā rika pako, e kā rika whero, kā uri o Kāti Huirapa ki Arowhenua. I ora a Tamaroto i a koutou. I ora anō te reo i a koutou! Te mirika kakara ki te ihu, te reka hoki o te kai! E kore e mimiti kā mihi ki te rahi o Kāti Huirapa. Tēnā koutou katoa.

Kura Reo Kāi Tahu was awesome! Well attended by over 120 te reo speaking whānau members. This year we had a learning focus around takiauē (Kāi Tahu word for funeral or tangi). Discussions were facilitated by Hana, Lynne, Tahu, Charisma and Justin with the guidance of our kaumātua. The afternoons saw us spending time together (all in te reo!) with our tamariki engaging in activities such as swimming, playing ki-o-rahi and visiting Te Ana – the rock art centre. The staff at Te Ana provided a fantastic programme for our tamariki and whānau. A huge thanks to Amanda, Karl, Tash and all the staff.

For many of us, the Kura Reo Kāi Tahu is an annual event not to be missed.

It is an event that caters to the whole whānau.

It provides the opportunity to spend time with other te reo speaking families; learning, laughing, enjoying, celebrating and using our language.

Now is the time whānau, if you are thinking about attending Kura Reo Kāi Tahu for the first time next year, get on to your language plan.

Kia Kūrapa at Awarua is the next beginners level wānaka and a great kick start.

Finally, the hospitality was fantastic, a big thanks to all of the people at Arowhenua.

Kura Reo Kai Tahu 2013.

Pōua Mike and pōua Kukupa.

Rock art hands.

Waiata at Arowhenua.