Kia ora koutou whānau,
Well time flies when you are having fun, whānau will be away to the Tītī Islands and just like that they will be home again and it will be May. Not forgetting our succulent tio as well, yummy tītī and tio.

Murihiku Marae has been having all sorts of hui and different meetings – all good too. Lots of little but essential things have happened like our kaumātua went to see the Māori Quartet and they very much enjoyed it – it was a good night out. We have our community garden going well, some teething problems but otherwise all ka pai and some whānau are being given fresh vegetables grown at Murihiku Marae and it’s a good relationship between us and the community. Excellent job! A big shout out to all our whānau overseas and those that are living away from Murihiku, tēnā koutou ngā whanauka mihi aroha we hope you are all well, cheers whānau. To all the whānau that have had new pēpi congratulations from Waihōpai whānau and the same for all our birthday whānau – a big congratulations to you guys as well. And most importantly to our whānau that have lost a loved one since our last kōrero. Waihōpai sends their condolences and aroha to you all aroha nui.

It’s time for me to hang up my pen for another month and get on with my mahi. Listen folks take very good care of one another arguing and fighting is not good, hugs and laughter are better ka pai. Nā Squirrel on the Hill, hei konei rā Waihōpai Rūnaka.

Kia ora whānau, I hope you are all well and rested and looking forward to an exciting year ahead. This summer has had its moments – for a start, we have hardly seen the big yellow glow in the sky and when we do it’s blowing a gale. But that’s the way it goes – rain, gales and very little sun. Let us be thankful that we are alive and can enjoy whatever the weather gods send especially here in the southern isles – live and let live and enjoy whānau time.

Nō reira, ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa to the whānau that have lost a loved one, Waihōpai sends their condolences and aroha to you and your whānau, aroha nui. Also a huge congratulations to whānau that have a new addition aroha nui to you and your new pēpi. Cheers whānau. Lastly to all the whānau who have had a birthday over the break, a big congratulations to you all and hope you had a great day.

Kia ora whānau,
Well here we are again another month gone and it’s getting closer to Christmas, yay! (Yeah right I hear you say).

We have had a few hui recently here at Murihiku Marae. South Alive are a group of people working to make South City Invercargill a beautiful place to be and it’s looking really good too, next time you are in Invercargill go to South City and enjoy — cheers whānau.

Child Youth and Family Services held their meeting here. We have a good relationship with Child Youth and Families Services and have been having great kōrero over the three years this has been taking place. Invercargill City Council staff came up to Murihiku Marae for their cultural experience and really enjoyed it too.

James Hargest College kapa haka group had an excellent noho marae. There was plenty of noise coming from the group. The Otago/Southland campus also had a noho marae for their cultural training and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

We had a visit from the (hopefully) new Mayor of Wellington, Mr Mick Leggett, his wife Emily and their daughter Maddi.

Remember whānau it’s not hard to say “I love you” — stand up against violence. Kia ora to our Waihōpai whānau outside of paradise. I hope you are all well, let us know how you are and send us some photos please.

Nō reira ngā whānau ki te whānau o ngā mate, aroha nui, aroha nui, aroha nui our deepest condolences for your loss Waihōpai Rūnaka whānau. Ngā mihi aroha,
ki a koutou katoa.

Nā Squirrel on the Hill.

Waihōpai Rūnaka Incorporated

Notice to Intention to Hold a Postal Ballot
Waihōpai Rūnaka Incorporated (“the Rūnaka”) wishes to inform current and potential members of the Rūnaka of its intention to conduct a postal ballot for the purposes of electing the members of the Rūnaka’s Appointment Committee. Once elected, the Appointment Committee will be responsible for appointing the Representative and Alternate Representative of the Rūnaka to represent the interests of the Rūnaka at meetings of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Please note only those people who have established their entitlement to be members of the Rūnaka and are registered with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu before 5pm on Wednesday, 3 August 2016 will receive voting papers for this postal ballot. All persons eligible to become a member of the Rūnaka are encouraged to apply to be registered with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Members of the Rūnaka who have previously been registered are encouraged to ensure that their contact details as held by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu are correct.

Appointment Committee Nominations

Waihōpai Rūnaka is also calling for nominations for the Appointment Committee and you can contact the Waihōpai Rūnaka Office Telephone: 03 216 9074, Fax: 03 216 9916 or email: [email protected] for information regarding criteria and nomination forms. Written forms and requirements are to be received by the Waihōpai Rūnaka office before 5pm on Wednesday, 3 August 2016, to: Waihōpai Rūnaka Office, PO Box 7017, Invercargill 9812.

Kia ora whānau, I hope you are all fit and well and no one has the dreaded flu bug that is going around. Sadly some of our whānau are very māuiui at the moment and it’s not good, especially when there’s nothing you can do about it. All we wish is that they all get well soon – arohanui to you all.

Murihiku Marae has been steady with bookings which is good. Our normal hui have been good too, lots of hui at the marae, i.e. Child Youth and Family Services, prison interviews and programmes. The Otago/Southland combined hui was good.

It’s August, so let’s hope the weather improves. I had new whānau members – some of my long lost whānau visit me. It was great to see them as well as get pictures of whānau.

Well whānau, this is pānui is short but Waihopai are thinking of you all and wish you all the best to those who are or have had birthdays and babies – a huge congratulations to you all arohanui xx.

Take time out whānau to sit, listen and talk to each other, for what we miss today we may never gain tomorrow. Nā Squirrel on the Hill. [Read more…]

Scholarships and grants

Waihōpai Rūnaka has established grants to assist Waihōpai registered whānau members in the following areas:

• Pūtea manaaki
• Kaumātua hardship grant
• Waihōpai Rūnaka education scholarship

These are small one-off annual grants that will provide some assistance for whānau. For further information please phone Jess or email the office on 03 216074 or [email protected]

Kia ora whānau. Christmas and New Year is all over for another year and I certainly hope you all had a great holiday – and you are all back fighting fit.

I had a quick six days in Brisbane. Awesome. Didn’t do much – just relaxing with the whānau and friends….. it was all good. I have just started at CYFS as cultural advisor so we will see how that goes. [Read more…]

Ngā mate

Our condolences and aroha to the whānau of Raymon Skerrett and Lewis Dawson, who passed away this month.

Rā whānau

Happy birthday to all the whānau who have celebrated a birthday this month and also a big congratulations to all new pēpi born in the last month – and of course to the parents. Aroha nui.

Eileen Hampstead had her 95^th birthday celebration at Stirling Point with her great-great-grandson Ben and great-great-great-grandson, George. [Read more…]

Kia ora Waihōpai whānau me ngā rūnaka whānau o Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha hoki.

We are into the third month of 2014 already. Man, time is flying along and I can’t keep up. The marae has been a little busy, but some of us are doing a lot of outside mahi as well such as working with the Relay for Life, which a lot of our whānau attended. And may I say you all did yourselves proud.

Congratulations to you all, especially the overnighters because, while the rest of us were in bed snug and warm, our overnight whānau were walking and it was a cold night. There’s no doubt that our Waihōpai whānau are strong people.

Our first Wild Food Festival outing went well by all accounts so well done to all the whānau who went along to support the mihi whakatau, awesome. [Read more…]

Ngā mihi aroha nā te whānau o Waihōpai, tēnā koutou katoa. All is well but time comes and goes so damn fast; before you realise it you’re on the pension man. So where has time gone? One minute it’s Christmas  and New Year and then wham, back to work. We had a weekend of tītī meetings at the marae and whānau got back into the grind. (Some of us still had to be there over the Christmas break but all good). I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year and that you are all eager to get back to whatever it is you do. Cheers. [Read more…]

Kia ora koutou Waihopai whānau, me ngā whānau o ngā rūnaka katoa. To all the whānau who have a new one in their household, a big congratulations to you all, wherever you are. And many happy returns to all the birthday whānau this month.

Well whānau, we haven’t been too busy this month – just the normal everyday things happening here like Thursday roasts, tāua cards afternoon, kapa haka for the over 55s and the a visit from the Kotahi Mano Kāika team.

We have two tikaka wānaka coming up and other little hui as well.

A few of my old school mates will be hitting the retirement age this month and next year, the same for the 1948+ brigade. There’s lots of stuff happening on the marae, right up to Christmas, so we’ll all be busy.

Kia ora Ngāi Tahu whānau in Te Ika a Maui and over the ditch. Hope you are all well and you are not forgetting your whānau here in Te Waka a Māui.

So whānau, which do you prefer the South Island to be called – Te Waka a Maui or Te Waipounamu (bearing in mind the North Island is Te Ika a Maui).

It’s getting exciting now for whānau and children, as Christmas is just about here.
Well, got to go now. I look forward to next month’s pānui. Take care everyone and remember, whatever you do today, try to make somebody smile or laugh.

Nā Squirrell on the Hill.

Kia ora koutou whānau, it has been another busy month, and it’s getting very close to the magical part of the year. How time flies. To all the whānau who had a birthday this month, many happy returns and all the best. And to all whānau who have a new little one in their family, congratulations.

We have a very good nurse’s clinic every Wednesday, which helps people who don’t have access to any medical clinics – and as we all know, doctors can be expensive. The service is very well patronised so far.

As well as the normal hui – rūnaka and marae meetings for example, and our Thursday roast day – we are humming along. As for myself, Mhari, Philomena, and Peter, we have been very busy doing our tikanga programme in the prisons and on the marae. One of our tikanga members had his 70th birthday at the marae and his whānau came down from the north to celebrate. They enjoyed their stay very much.

We have a pōua, tāua, moko afternoon coming up on 19 October and that should be a great day. We also have a  respiratory hui coming up on 11 November. Put that in your diary whānau. And for the tāua,pōua, moko hui we need 12 grandparents and 12 moko – first in, first taken, so be quick Murihiku whānau.

I must also thank all the whānau who turned up to the marae to play a role as movie extras. It was a long day, especially for those ladies who didn’t think they would be there long. Robin, Mhari and Lyn started at 8.30am and finished at 7pm. But it was an enjoyable day so thank you all.

Well whānau, no matter how small the effort, the fact that you made the effort is awesome. Arohanui. To all our Kāi Tahu whānau wherever you are, take care. So long for now whānau. Nā Squirrell on the Hill. 

A big congratulations to whānau who have had babies, and to those who have had birthdays.

Waihōpai also sends their deepest condolences to whānau who have lost loved ones – Arohanui.

Kia ora whānau, here we are again. Another month is up and now we are in number nine – three more to go. How time flies. We have been pretty busy here on the marae and at the rūnaka. We had a great overnight stay from Te Wharekura o Arowhenua – all 100-plus of them and they were very pleased to take part in our Thursday roast lunch. It was a busy day with people everywhere and a performance from the school. [Read more…]

Ngā mate o ngā rūnanga haere, haere, haere atu rā. To the whānau who have lost a loved one, Waihōpai sends its condolences and deepest sympathies to you all. Aroha nui.

To all the people who have, or are having birthdays, have a great day – or, we hope you had a great day; and to all the new mums and dads congratulations on bringing new joy into your lives. Aroha nui to you all.

There’s been lots happening down here in the south. We have been busy on and off the marae. One thing that has captured the imagination is Joanne Pera’s Thursday roast meals. With the help of the marae cooks and whānau, they have become a roaring success. Well done team. Watch this space because there’s more to come from Joanne. [Read more…]

Kia ora whānau, ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa,well whānau it’s that time again.

A lot has been happening down here in Waihōpai. I have been hui-hopping around the country – to Wellington, Christchurch and Invercargill. We have had our normal hui on the marae – general hui, rūnaka hui and te reo hui.

It’s back to basics for us at Te Kōhaka Reo o Murihiku, with the tutors, seven tāua, one pōua, two pakeke and kids as well. Lydia Matenga Bull is taking a few of us for te reo too, so watch this space. [Read more…]

Ngā mate haere, haere, haere ki te kāinga tūturu o ngā tūpuna, haere, haere, haere atu rā  Kia ora  whānau, summer is definitely over and the days are shorter, darker, and colder. Wrap up warm and have heaps of laughter, cuddles, hot soup and stews. Sounds good to me. [Read more…]