Historic waka 'Hinepāpara' emerges from Far North's Ōmahuta Forest

A Kerikeri Primary School student hongis the freshly unveiled waka. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

History has been made in the Far North, where a waka has been shaped in the forest for the first time in almost a century.

On Friday, Bay of Islands hapū Ngāti Rēhia unveiled a newly carved waka, named 'Hinepāpara', which will now undergo sea trials before a launch early next year.

Ngāti Rēhia leader Kipa Munro said the hull had been cut and shaped in Ōmahuta Forest, where the kauri fell in a storm about a decade ago.

To the best of his knowledge, this had not happened in Northland - or possibly in the country - since the great waka 'Ngātokimatawhaorua' was shaped in neighbouring Puketi Forest in the 1930s.

Since that time, Munro said kauri logs had been removed whole from the forest, then shaped and carved in a workshop or boatbuilding yard.

Bernard Makoare blesses the new waka, named Hinepāpara. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Almost 300 people, including children from four local schools, attended the blessing and unveiling ceremony in the whare waka (waka shelter) directly across the river from Kerikeri's historic Stone Store.

Lead builder Billy Harrison of Mangōnui said the waka was about 14 metres long, weighed roughly 1.2 tonnes and seated 24 kaihoe (paddlers).

"The special thing about this waka is that it's one of the first times since Ngātokimatawhaorua that a waka like this has been cut out and honed inside the forest. We brought it out in three pieces, already rough-shaped into a hull."

Harrison said working in the forest was challenging, but a great opportunity for learning.

Freshly carved hoe (paddles) are placed in the waka as Ngāti Rēhia leader Kipa Munro conducts a blessing. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

"We took a step back in time, we learnt a lot about how our tūpuna [ancestors] may have operated and the things they may have experienced, like the bugs that are around, the birds, things like that."

The team worked alongside Department of Conservation to prevent any spread of kauri dieback, and cleaned all their equipment any time they entered or left the forest.

Harrison said the late Sir Hekenukumai Puhipi (Hec Busby), the country's pre-eminent waka builder and navigator, had visited the downed kauri and deemed it suitable.

The decorative rauawa (side panels), taurapa (sternpost) and tauihu (prow) were carved by Renata Tane and Anthony Collins.

Tane said fitting the work around his other responsibilities had been "challenging, but awesome".

Members of Ngāti Rēhia and manuhiri (guests) place their hands on the waka during the blessing. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

"It's monumental really," he said. "It's a dream of any carver to work on significant projects like waka and whare.

"It's been an honour to be part of the process."

Every carving on the waka had a name, a purpose and a story.

"It's a wānanga in itself," Tane said.

Munro said every person's pepeha - or whakapapa - included a waka they traced their descent from.

Lead carver Renata Tane says ievery carver's dream is to work on a waka. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

"Although we trace ourselves way back to our original waka, this one - Hinepāpara - is maybe the one our kids will start to identify themselves with," he said. "This is all about identity - it's about identification of who you are and your connection to who you are."

Waka were also a way of bringing people from different hapū together with a common purpose.

Hinepāpara's hull had been designed for rivers, rather than open water, because it would be used mainly on Te Awa o Ngā Rangatira ('the River of Chiefs' or Kerikeri River).

Sea trials would begin shortly, followed by an official launch early in the New Year - possibly coinciding with the return to iwi of Kororipo Pā, across the water at Kerikeri Basin.

Munro said the waka was built "pretty much on aroha", with the carvers and builders donating their time.

Children from Kerikeri Primary School and Bay of Islands International Academy perform a haka pōwhiri. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Ngāti Toro's Mita Harris said the tree itself was a gift from the Hokianga and was one of a trio of large kauri known as the 'Three Sisters', two of which had been toppled in storms.

At 37 metres, Ngātokimatawhaorua is the world's biggest waka in use, and was built from two kauri felled and shaped in Puketi Forest.

It was finished at Waipapa Landing, in Kerikeri Inlet, and paddled to Waitangi for the 1940 Treaty centennial commemorations.

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