Kawhia Kai, Kawhia Moana, Kawhia Tangata
Approx. 1350AD, the Tainui Waka arrived in Kawhia harbour after an arduous seavoyage from their original home,Hawaiiki. The waka was eventually hauled ashore
and buried where Maketu marae is still today....More on »Kawhia
Maketu Marae - Cradle of Tainui
Maketu Marae at Kawhia is recognised as the hearth and most important settlement of the Tainui people.
Having sought the spiritual guidance and blessing of the Gods, the Tainui
people began to prepare their cultivations, and at the new moon Te Tapouritanga o te Marama, the precious food seeds of kumera, taro and hue, brought from Hawaiiki were planted...read more on »Maketu Marae
Tainui Waka - Arrival of the Tainui Waka
When Tainui arrived at Kawhia the first concern of Hoturoa appears to have been the establishment of a whare wananga, a school of learning, at Ahurei.
It must have been clear to him that as his crew would become tribal leaders in the new colony, they and their children should be instructed in the culture and priestly skills which gave them authority over the common people....Read more on »Tainui Waka
Auaukiterangi
Auaukiterangi is the name of the ancestral carved house at Maketu marae, which was built and opened in 1962. It was not the first meeting house to be built at Maketu, but it is certainly considered to be the most important, because of its ancestral name. Auau-ki-te-rangi was an ariki (high chief) and the father of Hoturoa. He remained in Hawaiiki when his second-born son Hoturoa sailed off on the Tainui waka, which together with other famous vessels, comprised the well remembered voyage of discovery which resulted in Maori settlement of Aotearoa.....Read more »Auaukiterangi
Te Rauparaha - The Maori Warrior Chief from Kawhia
The Maori leader responsible for the greatest slaughter in the early nineteenth century was undoubtedly Te Rauparaha, a chief of the Ngati Toa tribe of the Kawhia district.
This was a small tribe, closely related to the Waikato and Ngati Maniapoto tribes who surrounded the Kawhia domains of Ngati Toa....Read more on »Te Rauparaha
Haka - The Haka, Its Meaning and Origin
The Maori haka performed by the All Blacks, has become famous around the world, though few realise it's origin or meaning. Te Rauparaha, the warrior chief of Ngati Toarangatira, originally from Kawhia, had visited Tuwharetoa to solicit aid against the Waikato and Ngati Maniapoto tribes....Read more on the »haka
Kawhia Festival - Kawhia Traditional Maori Kai (Food) Festival
The last Kawhia kai festival was a beauty. The sun was beaming benevolently and the wafting smells of a hundred traditional Maori dishes hung in the air, as thousands of visitors from around New Zealand and even internationally, flocked to the sea-side village of Kawhia to participate in the unique "Maori experience". The lonely Planet guide have written that it's one of the top Maori attractions in NZ....Read more the »kai festival
Healing Plants - Rongoa or Maori Medicine
To the Maori people, the forest provided a vast range of natural resources, important among which Were a wide range of natural remedies, some of which are still widely used today. Recent research has indicated that many of these ancient curatives have a valid scientific and pharmacological base...Read more on »healing plants
English - Maori Dictionary
For self-help guide to study of the Maori language, English - Maori dictionary with complete grammar reference and a vocabulary list with words. Please check out our selection of quality dictionary...»English - Maori dictionary
Kawhia Beach Blog
Here's a unique insight about living in Kawhia from a local Maori kids perspective...Read more on this »kids blog
Kawhia Maori Guest Book
Whether your an international visitor wanting to just say hello, or a local traveling the world, check into our guest book and keep in touch with friends and whanau...»Read more