The tamariki of Te Kura Motuhaki ki Arahura have been busy painting Puanga.

A time of learning.

After months of physical activity during the warm months, winter was a time to feed the spirit and mind, to learn chants, genealogy and history. This is continued today throughout many whānau, hapu and iwi.

The team have been working hard as we move forward towards our own new Tari.

One of the main goals of our new Tari is to make it a welcoming and inclusive place for our whanau (family) to come along and hang out. We want to create a community space where we can offer support, advice, education, and opportunities for our whanau, as well as celebrate our achievements, culture, and traditions. We want to foster a sense of whanaungatanga (relationship) among our whanau, and encourage them to participate in our activities and initiatives.

We believe that moving to our new Tari will bring many benefits for our team and our whanau. It will also allow us to reach out to more people in our community and provide them with quality services and programs that meet their needs and aspirations. It will also strengthen our identity and pride as Te Hono, and as Māori.

We are very grateful for this opportunity to move to our new Tari, and we are so thankful to WestREAP who have supported us so much along the way. We would not have got to where we are today without our sister organisation. We are eager to start this new chapter in our journey and we invite you to join us in making our new Tari a home for us all (opening date to be confirmed).

On a beautiful sunny day, our staff gathered at the Hokitika zip line at the tree top walk for a fun and exciting team building day.

The zip line adventure was a great way to experience the stunning native forest from a different perspective, as well as to challenge ourselves and step out of their comfort zones. The staff “enjoyed” flying through the air at speeds of up to 50 km/h, feeling the adrenaline rush and the wind in their faces.

We admired the views of the Maunga and lakes Kaniere and shared pūrākau of the Mahinapua battle.

The team building day was not only fun and adventurous, but also connected us as a team.

We returned from the team building day with a sense of accomplishment, joy and camaraderie. We had a lot of laughs and memories to share and felt more motivated and inspired to continue our mission of supporting whānau and meeting need in Te Tai o Poutini.

Rock climbing was a fun and challenging activity that can helped our tamariki develop confidence, strength and resilience in Charleston. It was a great way to foster our tamariki physical, mental and spiritual well-being. What a beautiful environment we are blessed to be a part of!

We are deeply saddened (but excited for her) to see Kararina leave. She is such a fresh of beath air with her positive, inspiring and bubbly personality. She was a valuable member of our Board, and we appreciated her energy and input immensely. It is rare in this community to find someone like her, so we are grateful for the time we have had!

Tungia te ururua, kia tupu

Whakaritorito te tupu o te

harakeke.

Clear the undergrowth so that the

new shoots of the flax with grow.

1 month in and the Wahine are making amazing progress and loving it! Ka mau te wehi!

Here are some of the things offered with our Youth Pathway Service!

One of our awesome kaupapa is the West Coast Youth Pathways Service for Te Tai o Poutini with funding from the Ministry of Social Development. The service supports rangatahi/youth aged 15 to 24 years into education, employment and training through an individualised programme that works with each participant at their own pace.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this message to say goodbye to you as you leave Te Hono O Nga waka. You have been a great work colleague and a friend to me and many others. You have contributed so much to our team and our kaupapa with your skills, knowledge, passion and aroha.

I will miss your cheerful presence, your wise advice, your creative ideas and your generous spirit. You have inspired me to grow professionally and personally, and I am grateful for all the support and guidance you have given me.

I wish you all the best for your future endeavours. I know you will succeed in whatever you do, because you are talented, hard-working and resilient. I hope we can keep in touch and share our journeys.

Haere ra Naomi. Thank you for everything. You will always be part of our whanau.

Our awesome helper giving out meals to the pensioners of Hokitika last week, they were still warm!