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Hautuku Ceremony at Wainuiomata Coast Beach

As part of our Matariki celebrations, our kaimahi and whānau from Kōkiri Marae Hauora gathered at the Wainuiomata Coast in the afternoon to take part in a special Hautuku ceremony. This sacred ritual gave us the space to farewell those who have passed and to release any mamae, burdens, or negative energy from the past year.

Grounded in tikanga Māori, the ceremony was a time for reflection, healing, and renewal. Through karakia and quiet moments together, we honoured our loved ones who have passed on and acknowledged the emotional weight we may have carried.

A fire was lit as a central part of the ceremony, where we burned our written burdens and let the smoke carry them away. This symbolic act allowed us to let go of what no longer serves us, creating space to move into the Māori New Year with clarity, peace, and intention.

It was a beautiful and meaningful way for our whānau to reconnect — with ourselves, with each other, and with te taiao — as we step into a new year with hope and purpose.

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Tihei Rangatahi Holiday Programme Term 2 Recap

Over the past two weeks, we ran an amazing Tihei Rangatahi holiday programme filled with learning, fun, and unforgettable experiences.

We kicked things off with a station rotation day where the rangatahi learned how to make putiputi from harakeke, helped with hāngī prep for our lunch the next day, and enjoyed a round of sports. We wrapped up the day with a sausage sizzle and a hikoi down the Gumloop.

The next day we headed out to Brewtown, where the kids had a blast ice skating and jumping on trampolines. We ended that day by sharing the delicious hāngī we prepared together.

To finish off Week 1, we treated the kids to a movie day to watch The Karate Kid 3, complete with goodie bags for the full experience.

Week 2 started with a splash at H2O Pool, which the kids loved so much that we went again the next day — this time to Kilbirnie Pools.

On our final day, we spent the morning at Walter Nash, playing a range of sports, then celebrated our last afternoon at Taita Rocks with pizza. We closed the programme with a special Hautūku ceremony, where each rangatahi wrote down something they wanted to release and placed it in the fire. They also wrote a goal on a star to set intentions moving forward.

We ended with s’mores, laughter, and full hearts. The tamariki absolutely loved it — and we can’t wait for the next Tihei Rangatahi holiday programme!