Rugby league contract

Danny Levi.

Danny Levi.

Ngāi Tahu – Ngāti Waewae descendant Danny Levi, has signed with National Rugby League club (NRL) Newcastle Knights.

Danny is the great-grandson of Raymond Lousich and his father is Daniel Levi (Snr).

Danny started playing rugby league for the Randwick club in Lower Hutt and also played in representative Orca sides.

In 2013, he signed a contract with Newcastle Knights and was made captain of their Holden Cup under 20s side. Danny, the youngest player (now aged 18) in the team, led the Knights to the 2014 minor premiership and later he was named in the 2014 Holden Cup team. To cap off his NRL year, the Knights extended his contract for a further two years from 2015.

Recently, Danny was given the honour of being selected for the Junior Kiwis squad and was made vice-captain. Danny and his team played the Kangaroos in Auckland on 20 October.

Hīkoi ki Japan

After months and months of fundraising the day was finally here. On September 30, 11 students from year nine to 13, along with two teachers, travelled to Japan for a 10-day cultural exchange.

First stop was a five-hour stopover in Singapore. The airport was huge and beautiful. We then took a seven-hour flight to Tokyo where we were greeted by our tour guide who took us sightseeing around the city. The next day we took a train to Tokyo Disneyland where we went on rides and shopped for the whole day.

On the Friday, we went to a beautiful park, a small zoo and a tower. We then had lunch at a plaza before meeting the mayor of Edogawa City who was very delighted to meet us. We were gifted with jerseys and treated with kindness. After our big day we went off to meet our first set of host families.

Saturday morning we had a get-together with all the families over morning tea. We then had free time with our host families.

On Sunday, we spent the whole day with our host families, shopping and sightseeing. On Monday, there were typhoon warnings, so all the schools were closed down and we couldn’t go visit them.

We drove around for a little while and then went to a kitchen area, where we made some Japanese food, then we met our second set of host families.

On Tuesday, we went to an elementary school for the day and spent some time working with the young kids. They performed a traditional dance and we performed kapa haka – they loved it.

On Wednesday, we travelled to Seigakuin Girls High School and spent the day there where they gave us a presentation about the school and how they celebrate their seasons. Then we did another kapa haka performance. After the big day, we travelled to our hotel before flying home.

It was an early start and a very long flight. After hours and hours of flying, we finally made it home safely.

I would like to say a big thank you to my mum and dad for helping me get to Japan, also Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae for gifting me a beautiful pendant for my fundraising. Thank you also to my tāua and pōua for helping me also with my fundraising.

I would also like to thank the whole community for getting behind us with our fundraising raffles, bake sales and school fairs. Finally thank you to Mr Metcalfe and Laura Mills, the teachers who accompanied and looked after us.

It was an awesome trip and I was so happy to have been able to experience another culture. It was fantastic to go with a great bunch of students. Aroha nui, Brooke Parker.

Brooke and a friend sightseeing at the Tokyo Tower.

Brooke and a friend sightseeing at the Tokyo Tower.

Brooke with her host family.

Brooke with her host family.

He pēpi

Nau mai haere mai ki te ao. On 20 October, Chris McGuiness and Jaimee Bannister welcomed their tama hou into the world, at Lismore Hospital in New South Wales.

Nau mai, haere mai Reuben William Roger McGuiness. Congratulations to Chris, Jaimee, big sister Savannah and tāua and pōua, Valmai and Neil Bannister.

Reuben William Roger McGuiness.

Reuben William Roger McGuiness.

Spring Reading Challenge

Our Wero Mātauraka – Spring Reading Challenge – has finished and although they had hoped for an increase in entries, they ended up with similar numbers to the previous year. Congratulations to all the tamariki who entered and to our major draw winners (DUPS), Rishjarn Hereaka, who won a tablet and Rohatai Madoc-Fernadez, who received a waterproof camera.

Rishjarn and Rohatai with kōmiti chairperson, Steven McLaren.

Rishjarn and Rohatai with kōmiti chairperson, Steven McLaren.

From left, Kōmiti Mātauraka representatives, Bronwyn Te Koeti, Julianna Zweis and Steven McLaren with some of the tamariki.

From left, Kōmiti Mātauraka representatives, Bronwyn Te Koeti, Julianna Zweis and Steven McLaren with some of the tamariki.

Sports day

The next morning, following an early start to get our marae ship-shape, a kawe mate ceremony was held to bring in whānau photographs, which were to be hung in our marae. Befittingly, there was a light rain to bring our whanauka home, such a wonderful and moving homecoming. Ki a koutou i hoki atu ki te wā kāika, moe mai koutou i te rakimārie.

The light rain turned into harder rain and it set in for the day. The Bruce Bay Sports Day continued regardless and there was an excellent turn out. There was some fierce competition in the chopping and other competitive events, excellent baking, kai, stalls, raffles and company.

The weather did put a dampener on our plans for the kids’ events, with rain affecting all of the planned traditional races. With much of the schedule unable to proceed, it took some quick thinking and a little ingenuity to keep the kids occupied for the full three hours, in a side tent they had erected for the evening event.

Musical chairs, a chocolate eating competition with a knife and fork, nail driving competition and a dart throwing competition kept them entertained and they finished off with a lolly scramble.

Tamariki patiently wait to have a turn at throwing darts.

Tamariki patiently wait to have a turn at throwing darts.

Tamariki during the nail driving competition.

Tamariki during the nail driving competition.

Taiaha wānaka

Over Labour Weekend, a group of young men descended upon Puari Pā, Koukourārata, for the Te Tohu o Tū taiaha wānaka.

It was a four-day wānaka and the boys were taught karakia and history and they learnt the taiaha do’s and don’ts, and more importantly about whanaungatanga and kotahitanga. Ko au ko koe, ko koe ko au. Liam Dacombe, Hone Hurunui and Te Kaio Cranwell all enjoyed themselves.

From left, Te Kaio Cranwell, Liam Dacombe and Hone Hurunui.

From left, Te Kaio Cranwell, Liam Dacombe and Hone Hurunui.

Tamariki playing together at the taiaha wānanga.

Tamariki playing together at the taiaha wānanga.

Working bee

On a beautiful sunny day in October, some of our whānau spent time out at the marae – weeding the garden, fixing fences, cleaning gutters, painting chairs and giving our tekoteko, Pūraho and our koruru, Makō, a clean and a coat of paint before summer. Thanks to Simon Developments for the use of the scissor lift. Tau kē whānau.

The Skipper brothers and Metua and Te Kaio Cranwell.

The Skipper brothers and Metua and Te Kaio Cranwell.

Iaean and Te Kaio Cranwell paint Pūraho together.

Iaean and Te Kaio Cranwell paint Pūraho together.

Pūraho and Te Upoko o Tahumatā.

Pūraho and Te Upoko o Tahumatā.

Tony Smith cleaning out the gutters.

Tony Smith cleaning out the gutters.

Chantal and Mokoia Thomas and Skipper whānau.

Chantal and Mokoia Thomas and Skipper whānau.

South Island Māori Netball Tournament

Te Puawai and Rerekiao Perenara-O’Connell, played for the Pipiwharauroa Netball Club, which recently competed at the South Island Māori Netball Tournament, in Hokitika. Many thanks to Mel, Maurice, Colleen and Mathias for all your mahi. Nā Patsy Perenara-O’Connell.

Te Puawai and Rerekiao Perenara-O’Connell ready to defend.

Te Puawai and Rerekiao Perenara-O’Connell ready to defend.

A team of Pipiwharauroa Netball Club players.

A team of Pipiwharauroa Netball Club players.

Taiaha wānanga

A crew of 15 travelled from Ōtepoti to Taumutu at Labour Weekend, for a follow-up taiaha wānanga after a wānanga at Puketeraki Marae.

Tamariki playing together at the taiaha wānanga.

Tamariki playing together at the taiaha wānanga.

A well-deserved kai stop at KFC in Timaru, after the taiaha wānanga at Taumutu.

A well-deserved kai stop at KFC in Timaru, after the taiaha wānanga at Taumutu.

Waka excavation at Ōtakou

On 11-12 October, rūnanga members were involved in the excavation of a waka hull from the beach at Ōkia. They were under the guidance of Shar Briden, technical officer heritage, Department of Conservation (DoC) and Dilys Johns,archaeologist/conservator, University of Auckland.

The excavation was a true community effort with rūnanga members working alongside volunteers from University of Otago, Otago Museum, Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust and locals from the wider Portobello community.

Local builder Mac MacDonald was engaged to build a temporary tank for the waka to be immersed in once excavated. He had no idea how big the tank needed to be and was getting regular phone updates from the beach with each foot of waka that was uncovered.

One of the trickiest aspects of the excavation was figuring out how to get the waka from the beach to the road, where it would be lifted on to the back of a truck, bearing in mind its fragile state and the fact that the road was a good few kilometres away.
Thanks to the creative thinking of Jim Fyfe from DoC and Russell Thomlinson, a Portobello local, the waka was lifted onto a ladder fitted with a foam mattress for support and then had floats used to rescue stranded whales attached. A few hardy volunteers donned wetsuits and then floated the waka across the inlet to the waiting truck.

The weekend was absolutely incredible. One highlight was the enthusiasm and interest shown by some of our tamariki and rakatahi.

So much so, two of them were responsible for some really neat finds. Tumai Tamati-Cassidy found part of a moa femur and Koreana Wesley-Evans found a couple of obsidian flakes and a piece of hand-drilled and adzed wood presumed to have also come from a waka. These two budding young archaeologists also assisted in floating the waka across the inlet. I think they may actually have been the first two of the group to have their wetsuits on and ready to go.

Dilys has since confirmed that the waka is made from tōtara and the plaited fibre found within the hull is tī kouka. The rūnanga is looking forward to working with Dilys over the next couple of years, on what will no doubt be a massive project, to conserve the waka.

From left, Moana Wesley, Kiri Fraser and Marion Sutton wait for the excavation to begin.

From left, Moana Wesley, Kiri Fraser and Marion Sutton wait for the excavation to begin.

From left, Kate Dempsey, Brian Allingham, Rachel Wesley, Kuini Scott, Jim Fyfe and Nyssa Mildwaters.

From left, Kate Dempsey, Brian Allingham, Rachel Wesley, Kuini Scott, Jim Fyfe and Nyssa Mildwaters.

Tumai Tamati-Cassidy and Edward Ellison check out the waka tank.

Tumai Tamati-Cassidy and Edward Ellison check out the waka tank.

From left, Kuini Scott, Huia Pacey, Shar Briden and Edward Ellison.

From left, Kuini Scott, Huia Pacey, Shar Briden and Edward Ellison.

Koreana Wesley-Evans with a piece from the site.

Koreana Wesley-Evans with a piece from the site.

Kia ora koutou whānau,
Firstly we would like to acknowledge the recent passing of Rikki Cheerington, a respected local, mātāwaka kaumātua, who supported many Māori initiatives in Murihiku. Rikki will be missed by many.

Happy birthday to all those who have had birthdays, and for those who have new additions to their family – arohanui.

It has been very busy here in Murihiku, meeting after meeting and hui on the marae including Balclutha School, Te Pūtahitanga, plus our normal happenings like our Thursday roast and tāua cards on Wednesdays. We had Pūtangitangi and being part of the kōmiti and for some of us it was our first time – what a great experience. There was lots of apprehension but once it got underway it was great. Absolutely wonderful to see our tamariki dressed up in their kākahu, singing proudly and doing the haka – ka pai tamariki mā, you were all awesome. Huge thanks to the kōmiti for making Pūtangitangi 2014 the best yet.

Arohanui team, you all did a great job organising it.
You will always get someone moaning about something or others using Facebook, for goodness sake. Kanohi ki te kanohi, that’s the way.

Everything else down here is great, on a lighter side our kapa haka group, Te Rōpū o Murihiku has been busy and we have just finished a fundraiser at the recycling centre. It consisted of two eight-hour days, and our tāua and pōua, koro and kuia and young helpers did a fantastic job. My hat goes off to you ladies and gents. You hung in there like the troopers you are. What an awesome team. Well done ngā mihi aroha ki te whānau, ki ngā kaimahi o te kapa haka. There were a few sore people on Monday but ka pai.

It’s Christmas next month – how quick the time has gone. We hope all whānau in the North Island are well and don’t forget to send some information on things happening in your area. You can email us at [email protected].

Well, that’s all from us here in Waihōpai. Take care, look after one another and we’ll see you all next month. Hei konā. Nā Squirrel on the Hill.

The crowd at Pūtangitangi.

The crowd at Pūtangitangi.

Clutha Valley School students play some Māori stick games.

Clutha Valley School students play some Māori stick games.

Sea scout success

After nearly five years of the Te Ara o Kiwa Sea Scouts being re-formed in Bluff, all of the hard work of the families involved is now paying off. The majority of the scouts are Ngāi Tahu and descend from the Topi, Spencer, Fowler, Ryan and Haberfield whānau.

The group attended the annual Otago/Southland Sea Scouts Regatta held in Cromwell at Labour Weekend and they came away with 14 trophies including the top prize for being the winning troop. The events covered: rowing, cutter sailing, sunburst sailing, seamanship and swimming.

The last time this regatta was won by Te Ara o Kiwa was back in 1996, when two of the present leaders, Lara Stevens (Metzger whānau) and Bob Bowen (Flutey whānau) were sea scouts themselves.

The group now has eight weeks to get ready for the 27th National Sea Scouts Regatta, held in Auckland in December – January 2015. It has taken three years of fundraising and training to be able to attend. The sea scouts, leaders and supporting whānau have made the Bluff community very proud of their efforts that they achieved through determination and hard work. Congratulations on your successes – we are sure they will continue to do their best in all events at the nationals to achieve a great result. Karawhiua.

Te Ara o Kiwa Sea Scouts with all of their trophies.

Te Ara o Kiwa Sea Scouts with all of their trophies.

Manu Tīoriori

An update on our songbird Sianne Dougherty, who is a contestant on Homai te Pakipaki. We are pleased to inform whānau that Sianne has indeed made it through to the finals, to be held live on Māori TV at 8.30pm, Friday 14 November.

Koia kei a koe. Hopefully by the time whānau receive this issue of Te Pānui Rūnaka, Sianne will have taken out that top spot. Karawhiua.

Sianne Dougherty.

Sianne Dougherty.

Outward Bound experience

E te whānau tēnā koutou, ko Jaime tōku ingoa. He uri ahau nō Ngāi Tūāhuriri, through the Huria whānau however, I’m currently living in Ōtaki and attend Te Kura-ā-iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano.

I was recently nominated by my kura to attend the most exhilarating, exciting course I have ever experienced called Outward Bound, in the Queen Charlotte Sounds at the top of Te Waipounamu.

At the beginning, I wasn’t too sure what I was getting myself into but I decided to give it a go. I felt that I was getting out of my comfort zone but that was the whole point.

On 28 September, I waved goodbye to my whānau at the Wellington Ferry Terminal and headed for Picton. There we were welcomed and introduced to the staff. We then began sailing across to a bay called Anakiwa, where we were going to stay for three weeks.

We did all sorts of adventurous and exciting things like kayaking, rock climbing, tramping, high ropes, sailing and even staying out in the bush for three days alone, by ourselves. For me the most challenging thing was the run at the end of the course. We all ran 21 kilometres up rickety mountains and muddy paths.

If you’re searching for something fun to do or you want to challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone, then I strongly recommend Outward Bound. Not only does it make you stronger but it makes you a better person. Nā Jaime Ratapu.

Jaime Ratapu sailing while on an Outward Bound adventure.

Jaime Ratapu sailing while on an Outward Bound adventure.

Jaime Ratapu, nō Ngāi Tūāhuriri.

Jaime Ratapu, nō Ngāi Tūāhuriri.

Kura Reo Rakatahi

The first KMK Kura Reo Rakatahi was piloted at Ōtākou Marae during the October school holidays.

The five-day wānaka was facilitated by a team of poureo and tuākana, who provided rakatahi Māori with an opportunity to learn te reo in a variety of settings including a workshop on the history of te reo, games, waiata, grammar, how to pimp our reo using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, waka ama, mahika kai, mau rākau and other fun activities.

Based at the marae where the majority of te reo sessions took place, the programme also included a trip out to Pukekura Pā to hear a bit of Ōtākou history and view the albatross colony, the disappearing gun and an evening trip to see the penguins returning at dusk; a morning of waka ama out on the Otago Harbour; fun interactive sessions making shadow puppets to narrate local legends; an art session exploring native birds and whakataukī, a session making our own taoka pūoro from clay; a session full of laughs creating sports commentaries in te reo as well as a hīkoi out to Papanui inlet to gather kaimoana, climb the pyramid and hear about the adventures of Tarewai.

The wānaka ended with a hākari – a hāngī prepared by many of the rakatahi. From the pōwhiri at the beginning of the wānaka, the reo lessons and activities, right through to the kāuta, our Ōtākou-based ‘tuākana o te reo’ played an integral part, which our KMK team are extremely proud of and very grateful for.

To our haukāika, who extended their welcome and provided kōrero about the rohe, Edward Ellison and Tahu Pōtiki, tēnā rawa atu kōrua. Thanks also to Hoani Langsbury, Suzi and Brendan Flack and the Fire and Ice Waka Ama club for, their facilitation and support of the programme. A huge thanks also to all those poureo and tuākana, who travelled and gave freely of their time, energy and expertise: Nichole Gully, Waiariki Taiapa-Parata, Chey Milne, Komene Cassidy, Megan Potiki, Karuna Thurlow, Ariana Stevens, Tihou Weepu-Messenger, Hana Skerrett-White, Taikawa Tamati-Elliffe, Te Hau White, Tawini White, Kelly-Ann Tahitahi, Talia Ellison, Ranui Ellison, Wade Wharehoka, Kate Ellison and all those whānau and parents who supported throughout, mei kore ake i a koutou.

Tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa. We hope to include a Kura Reo Rakatahi as a regular annual event and aim to facilitate it across our Ngāi Tahu takiwā, to provide opportunities for each Papatipu community to host and for those respective rakatahi from each community to participate.

k1 (12)

k1 (5)

k1 (6)

k1 (7)

k1 (10)

k1 (11)