We hope that you all had an enjoyable Christmas break and that you are now back into the swing of things ready to meet the challenges of 2013.
If you have enjoyed a birthday in the last while, got married, had a celebration or had new additions to your whānau, congratulations. Here is wishing you all good health and prosperity for the year ahead.
The kapa haka and ki-o-rahi groups will continue this year and are hoping to build on the success they had last year. The kapa haka group won the People’s Choice Award at Hui-ā-Iwi. Both these groups are very keen to enlist more people. So if you are keen to become involved with some awesome people for a fun time, then here is your chance. Please contact us at the office for further details. Over the last month the executive and staff have been planning for the forthcoming year, which promises to be a busy one!
Graduation in Western Australia
We are so proud to introduce Ngāi Tahu from Murihiku, Karen Anne Bates/Cameron. We know Aunty Anna (Waru Reihana) and Uncle Allen Bates have always been so proud of Karen and we celebrate her achievements for them as well. After two years of studying, while still managing to work full time, Karen has just completed a post graduate certificate in Occupational Health and Safety from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. She received her advanced diploma in Occupational Health and Safety in 2010. You are an inspiration our cousin and we all love you and miss you and wish you all the very best with all your future aspirations as our mana wāhine.
Karen with her very proud big brother Manny Bates.
Guess who got married!
On 28 December Stewart Bull and Lydia Matenga were married at Murihiku Marae, Invercargill.
The significance of Murihiku Marae acknowledged the Bull whānau through Stewart’s parents (Jim Bull and Freda Bull) who played a major role in the establishment of Murihiku Marae. Lydia has significant whakapapa through her father who was of Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata and Ngāi Tahu descent (Rāpaki).
Lydia was given away by her only surviving brother Huki, who lives in Brisbane and was attended to by her sisters, Josie (Whakatāne), Rachael (Sydney) Valetta (Auckland) and Mere (Geraldine).
They would like to take this opportunity to thank whānau and friends who came from far and near, the ahi kā of Murihiku Marae, those who assisted before, during and after the event and those who gave presents and koha.
Lydia Matenga and Stewart Bull.
From left; Lydia’s sisters Josie, Rachael, Valetta and Mere.
Stewart and his attendants, from left to right; Tamatea, Harry, Kevin, Ron, Mhari and Stewart.
Kaitiaki rōpū members visit Burwood Bush
Kaitiaki rōpū members visited the Burwood Bush takahē rearing unit in northern Southland. The puppet technique used for the last twenty years to help rear chicks is no longer used.
Instead, parent birds are now doing it with better results in extensive predator proofed enclosures pens located in the Burwood area.
Phil Tisch (DOC) shows Stewart Bull and Aaron Leith the now mothballed techniques of rearing takahe chicks.