Maramataka
Mark your calendars for the events below. If you need more information, please contact the office.
Nau mai, haere mai.
Hui Rūnanganui
Our next Hui Rūnanganui (executive meeting) will be held at our marae at 9am on 23 April. The following meeting will be in Hokitika, 9.30am 11 June. Please let the office know if you are attending for catering purposes.
Makaawhio film night
We will be holding a film evening with a mixture of recent and historical rūnanga videos and movies at our marae on Sunday 24 April. The night before ANZAC Day “movie night” will kick off at 6.30pm in Kaipō and no doubt will provide a few laughs, some tears and another great opportunity for whakawhanaukataka.
ANZAC Day service
We will be marking ANZAC Day at our marae on 25 April, with a commemorative service, starting at 10.30am.
Hui-ā-tau 2016
Mark your calendars now. Our annual general meeting will be held Saturday 8 October.
Westland explorer remembered
A Queens Birthday weekend event is taking shape to mark the 100th anniversary of the death of Westland explorer, surveyor and map maker, Charlie Douglas.
The Department of Conservation, Heritage New Zealand, Heritage Hokitika, Hokitika Museum and Makaawhio have been working together to create a unique event that will attract people from all around the South Island. An exhibition at our museum, DOC-led walks in South Westland tracing some of Douglas’ iconic explorations, a historic walk from Hokitika to Douglas’ grave site, and a recreation of his famous meeting with Richard Seddon are just some of the activities planned for the weekend. A social evening planned for Saturday 4 June in the Hokitika Regent Theatre will combine some classic West Coast stories about Charlie Douglas and West Coast exploration with music and socialising.
A highlight of the evening will be the launch of the reprinted much sought-after book “Mr Explorer Douglas.”
For those of you unfamiliar with Charlie Douglas, his claim to fame came about as a result of his extensive exploration of the West Coast Region for the NZ Survey Department over a 40-year period. In addition to his skill in surveying and mapping the region, he recorded his observations of flora, fauna and geology in the journals and survey reports he kept. These observations and his diary accounts are informative and entertaining. For Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio, it is his relationship with guide and Māhaki tipuna Ruera (Taringaroa) Te Naihi referred to as “Māori Bill” that is the most fascinating aspect and we will be sharing some of that during the weekend. If you are looking for an excuse to spend some time here, come over for the long weekend.