‘If the waka is stuck, so am I’: Historic Hawke’s Bay waka needs a new temporary home

Jim Edwards (left), Shane Hawkins and Paul Cooper at Jim's home in Whakatu, with the waka Nga Tukemata-o-Kahungunu. Photo/Warren Buckland

The Ngā Tukemata-o-Kahungunu waka is an incredible sight to behold. At twenty metres long and weighing around six tonnes, it towers over the flood-damaged landscape of Jim Edwards’ Whakatu property.

This is where it will stay for now, braving the unpredictable weather with the help of tarpaulin until it can be moved safely and temporarily rehomed.

The waka has bought joy to many over its long history, and when it’s not being restored and is licensed, it takes school and community groups down the Clive River as they learn traditional waka ama techniques.

“We’d like to see it go into a shelter somewhere,” said Edwards.

But this is posing a significant challenge. A lethally tight turn and a soft strip of mulch going through the road will spell trouble for the eight-tonne trailer when it tries to move off-property, and Edward’s has exhausted options left, right and centre.

“[The trailer] will just sink in there and you’ll never be able to get it out; it’s soft and very deep,” he said, pointing to the mulch.

“The idea of being able to house it elsewhere may go nowhere.”

A council garden in the road outside Jim Edwards' home in Whakatu, a hindrance to transporting the waka from his home. Photo/Warren Buckland

And Edwards said he’s also going nowhere as long as the waka is on the property. The exposed waka is right in view of the cycleway and main road, meaning there’s a risk of damage or theft of the precious taonga.

“If the waka is stuck, so am I.”

Edwards, his wife Marie and daughter Jodie currently live in caravans on-site, as the family home sits marked with a yellow sticker. Half a metre of water rushed through the home and two septic tanks burst, creating an area of unliveable land.

Jim Edwards' waka Nga Tukemata o Kahungunu, in Whakatu. Photo/Warren Buckland

The waka is one of the many inspiring restoration projects Edwards facilitates. He is the leader of the Ngā Tukemata-O-Kahungunu Vocational Service, a trust initiative that supports people with a permanent disability and/or head injury.

“I can’t stop [my students] from coming to help because they always want to be here,” Edwards said.

Students Paul Cooper and Shane Hawkins were at the site on Monday helping Edwards move debris and lay the groundwork for what will eventually be a new office, wharenui and waka storage for the trust and its students. Luckily, this half of the property wasn’t affected by the flooding.

Edward’s said most of the precious taonga on the property had been moved to the Māori Land Courts in Wellington, but some larger possessions still remain on-site in a locked container.

“But to keep security around this place, someone’s got to be here.”