Art, Architecture and History

Titled: "Ma mua a muri ka tika" by artists Owen Dippie and Tame Iti
 
The mural is found in Taneatua, a small settlement south of Whakatane. Tame Iti spoke with several Tūhoe woman and asked who they thought was the face of the nation and as a result, Hokimoana Tawa was chosen to adorn the wall. Tame Iti says that the mural is a way for Ngāi Tūhoe to build a nation and bring the iwi together. It is hoped more images will be created around Te Rohe Pōtae o Tūhoe, in Waimana, Ruatāhuna, Waikaremoana - the four corners of the nation of Tūhoe.
 
Taneatua was named after the eccentric brother of Toroa - captain of the Mataatua Waka. Taneatua was also a tonunga, an adventurous explorer and a dog fancier who travelled with a big pack of kuri (dogs) naming various hills, boulders and streams after his loyal companions. Taneatua is where he left one of his dogs.
 
Taneatua has a population of 786 and is said to be the gateway to Te Urewera, a national park which is rugged, remote and famous for its lakes and forested beauty as well as its stormy history.  
 
Taneatua was once a bustling town with two banks, a mini mart, a train station and a cheese factory. The Taneatua Express was the passenger train that ran between Auckland and Taneatua from 1929 to 1959. Three famous locals are Matt Te Pou, (former coach of the Maori All Blacks), Benji Marshall (league star) and Tame Iti (artist and activist). Possum trapping, farming and hunting are big business in the area. Taneatua has one primary school.
 
Te Uru Taumatua,Te Kura Whare (in my extras) is home to the Ngai Tuhoe (Maori tribe) headquarters in Taneatua. This 'living building' was constructed using methods and materials that reflect Tuhoe values of living with the land. Today it is the greenest building in this hemisphere. Te Uru Taumatua,Te Kura Whare has set a new benchmark for sustainable homes, marae and schools, gathering all their own water, generating all their own electricity and dealing with all their own waste and the materials used are all either locally or sustainably sourced - Kind on the environment.
 
A day spent in the rural sector, visiting Taneauta, enjoying Waimana Gorge and strolling through White Pine Bush Track bringing back many memories of childhood days and school visits. It was also a day of emotion as we lingered at Hillcrest Cemetery between Whakatane and Ohope Beach where both my maternal and paternal grandparents, my father and uncle all rest in peace. The cemetery is completely surrounded in native bush well away from the noise of any busy road, where the calls of tuis, bellbirds, grey warblers, fantails and wood pigeons can be heard along with kiwi during the night.
 
It's been a huge day......and all to soon our break away comes to an end as we fly tomorrow.
 
Extras:
Mural "Ma mua a muri ka tika" by artists Owen Dippie and Tame Iti
Te Uru Taumatua,Te Kura Whare