Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

A lack of knowledge of Māori culture blamed for breach of rāhui at Mermaid Pools

Imran Ali
By Imran Ali
Multimedia Journalist·Northern Advocate·
23 Apr, 2019 08:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Visitors Kate Wardlaw from Taupo and Adam Howie from the United Kingdom reading one of the signs posted along Matapouri beach. Photo/Tania Whyte

Visitors Kate Wardlaw from Taupo and Adam Howie from the United Kingdom reading one of the signs posted along Matapouri beach. Photo/Tania Whyte

More than 100 visitors were turned away while less than that number made their way to the popular Mermaid Pools in Matapouri despite a rāhui being in force.

But the local hapu has put the situation over the Easter long weekend down to unfamiliarity with Māori culture rather than a blatant disregard for the rāhui that was put in place last Friday.The Te Whanau a Rangiwhakaahu hapū put a rāhui in place over the popular pools at the northern headland of Matapouri and the access route over the Rangitapu headland to restore their environmental, cultural and spiritual wellbeing.

A ceremony took place at Matapouri Beach at 5am on Friday to bless and dedicate a carved pou before those present went to the local marae to conclude the formalities.

Rāhui a form of taboo restricting access to, or use of, an area or resource by the kaitiakitanga or guardians of the area.

Sandra Hawken, a trustee of the hapū, said between 40 and 50 people were spoken to upon their return from the pools on Friday while about 150 people were turned away the next day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"People just didn't understand what rāhui meant. A majority were foreign tourists while others were from outside Northland who have not been here before. We spoke and clarified any misunderstanding they had and also explained what a rāhui was and why it was put in place.

"Once we told them that, they understood. Most of the people were very understanding. Some wished us luck, others said they'd come back in a few years time to see what the pools look like," she said.

Hawken said some visitors over the Easter weekend thought a rāhui was in place over the pools only while some thought it was for the track only.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They did not understand the history and significance of the place, she said.

"The main question people had was why was there a rāhui in place. They didn't understand the impact of pollution. A few families that visited the pools six months ago couldn't believe the condition they were in at present.

"Generally the response has been good, consider the fact that over Christmas we were having an average of 400 people in a couple of hours to having 150 per day," Hawken said.

Environmentalists, community groups, civic leaders and the local hapū have long been concerned about the degraded state of the pools and the condition of the track.

Discover more

Buy the building in Paparoa, get the business free

24 Apr 12:30 AM

Popular Kerikeri Garden centre and cafe for sale

23 Apr 05:00 PM

Go North for a longer and happier life

24 Apr 07:00 AM

Photos:Hundreds back unwell dad in Kaikohe Easter fundraiser

22 Apr 08:38 AM

Issues include no provision of basic infrastructure like a proper track, toilets or rubbish disposal facilities and all these will have to be addressed, the hapu said.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling

Northern Advocate

Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash

Northern Advocate

Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling
Northern Advocate

The Good Drop: Warehouse, Salvation Army team up for textile recycling

Donors receive a 10% voucher for clothing purchases over $30 as an incentive.

14 Jul 04:00 AM
Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash
Northern Advocate

Police name person who died in early morning Kaitāia crash

14 Jul 02:07 AM
 Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently
Northern Advocate

Kaipara mayoral hopefuls on rates, museums and what they would do differently

14 Jul 12:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP