Mataora Hotoke talks about the various plants that grow on Mauao and their medicinal properties.
Plants to make you look younger, get rid of that headache or even kill you all grow on Mauao or its surrounds.
While there is a resurgence of interest in their healing properties, knowledge of how to use them has been lost, according to a local expert on rongoa -traditional Maori medicine.
"It used to be something that every mother would know - if you cut your knee, she wouldn't reach for a plaster, but a kawakawa leaf," said Mataora Hotoke, a health and medicine facilitator who is sharing his knowledge about local plants at a series of workshops at the base of Mauao called Matariki ki Mauao.
The event, organised by the Te Puna Rangiriri Trust, is a week-long celebration of Matariki, or the Maori New Year.
At the workshops, Mr Hotoke has a collection of plants, leaves and sticks, which he gathered on a walk that morning, and explains their various uses, giving tiny samples of the kawakawa leaf to a group of primary school children.
Mataora Hotoke, a specialist in Rongoa or Maori medicine, says kawakawa is good for the skin
"You can also make a poultice of them to put over your eyes which will brighten the skin."
Mr Hotoke said the plants were just "a drop in the ocean" of Maori medicine. He did not like to be called a "healer" because rongoa was focused as much on prevention as treatment.
"It is a very holistic approach to wellness - so yes there are the plants and herbs, but this whole thing that we are doing today is wellness. It's kai, it's sharing knowledge, learning, its relationships, family, emotional and spiritual health."
Mr Hotoke said there was increasing interest in traditional medicine - he himself had a growing client base in the Bay, but he cautioned about usage.
"You obviously have to understand the plants - that is what I am passionate about, sharing my knowledge. I think we all should understand what grows around us, not just on Mauao but in the bush, in our gardens by our rivers. Much of it is good - but some of it is lethal, such as this tutu."
Mataora Hotoke shows the tutu, an extremely poisonous local plant. PHOTO: Kutz Photography
The tutu is extremely poisonous, he said.
"It paralyses you. It can kill you. It grows on Mauao and most Aotearoa forest areas. It's unfortunate the tutu looks a bit like another plant, the kareao or supplejack, that has a really juicy tasty sap that is nice to drink, but you don't want to get them mixed up."
The rongoa workshop was one of many running all week with the theme of "kai and kites".
Organiser Awhina August, general manager of the Te Puna Rangiriri Trust, said more than 1300 people had come to the workshops so far including 32 schools from Waihi to Whakatane.
The workshops were also open to the public.
"We want anyone to come - everyone. It's a platform for our rangitahi (children) to listen to experts in various fields of Maori knowledge and for anybody at all who wants to come along.
"It is very special to share korero and learn from various experts in their fields of food, medicine, crafts, haka, in such a significant sacred spot at the base of Mauao."
Chairman of the trust, celestial navigator Jack Thatcher who was taking groups up Mauao all week for a guided hikoi, was passionate about rekindling Maori knowledge in a very inclusive way, to everyone in the community of all ages, cultures and backgrounds.
"Jack is all about sharing the knowledge of where we live to everyone who lives here - this is the third year we have done this and each year we see more and more people. It is buzzing here, and thrilling to see all these people hungry for matauranga maori (Maori knowledge)."
Matariki ki Mauao will culminate in a whanau/family day on Sunday.
WHAT Matariki ki Mauao When: Workshops on theme of "kai and kites" and importance of Maori tradition and custom, all week to June 23, 9.30am - 2.30pm Where: Matariki marquee at Mount Beachside Holiday Park, 1 Adams Ave, Mount Maunganui
Whanau Day, Sunday from 9am to 3pm Kite flying, fun activities for kids, food stalls, demonstrations Free and no booking necessary, come along and celebrate the last day of Matariki with family and friends. More info: www.mymatariki.co.nz.
