One of Aotearoa’s oldest Waka Ama clubs is marking over 40 years of history with the construction of its first-ever storage facility.
A formal karakia was held on Tuesday, April 1, at Anzac Park to bless the whenua where Māreikura Waka Ama Club’s new storage facility will soon take shape.
Club chairman Billy Maxwell said the blessing marked a significant milestone in the long-anticipated project, which will provide a permanent home for the club’s cherished waka.
“The main purpose of the storage facility is just to house our waka. Currently, they sit outside in the weather. It can be extremely hot, then raining, then extremely cold and the waka get a bit of wear and tear,”
The new facility, located in an elevated area of Anzac Park, will offer greater protection for Māreikura Waka Ama Club’s waka, shielding them from the elements and ensuring their long-term preservation.
In 2022, the club received approximately $600,000 in funding from Trust Tairāwhiti. However, following the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, that support was increased to $1.5 million to help address any damage.
Chairman Billy Maxwell said the funding has also enabled the club to improve storage for essential resources, including life jackets, paddles, and other equipment.
“We’ve also had to do a bit of fundraising ourselves as a club. But yeah, as a club we’re very thankful to Trust Tairāwhiti and ECCT for the funding they’ve put in.”
Maxwell said the club looks forward to seeing the fruition of a dedicated space where its taonga will be protected for generations in the hopes of evolving into a clubroom.
“At the moment it’s just a storage facility and we’ll see that be built first, but yeah hopefully we can get a clubroom,”
He whakaaro kua roa e rere nei i te hirikapo
Ko Matahi Brightwell tērā e pupuri nei i te mauri o tēnei karapu waka ama, ka mutu, koinei tētahi o ngā tino wawata ōna.
“My first application to get this done was back in 1988 and since then I’ve been trying to get a facility. You know we have about $300,000 worth of canoe here. In the open for over 30 years,”
Hei tā Brightwell, ko te painga atu, ka tū te whare nei ki tētahi wāhi e haumaru ake ai te karapu i ngā pānga o te waipuke.
“Most of the canoes are tūpuna names. You know like Paikea, Amo i te Rangi, great names of our iwi, and to shelter them is the right thing to do,”
