Abbey Caves tragedy: Rāhui to be discussed after coroner’s report release

A rāhui sign and flowers at the entrance to the Abbey Caves track on May 10, 2023. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Whether the rāhui will continue at Abbey Caves (Kiore Taretare) will be considered upon the release of the Coroner’s report due in late May, Whangārei District Council has said.

Ngāti Kahu o Torongare and the Whangārei Hapū placed a rāhui (prohibited access) over the Abbey Caves Reserve on Tuesday, May 9, 2023 after the tragic death of Year 11 Whangārei Boys’ High School student, Karnin Petera.

The school board of trustees has since been charged over alleged health and safety failures by WorkSafe.

At the time of the rāhui being placed, spokesperson for Ngāti Kahu o Torongare, Hūhana Lyndon said it would allow for cleansing; “...and provide a clear pathway for our tamaiti (child) to be laid to rest without intrusion”.

From Monday, May 15 last year the rāhui area was reduced to the caves and the immediate surrounding area. The wider reserve was reopened to the public late last year, but the caves have remained closed.

The caves were boarded up and fencing and signs went up around the time the rāhui was first placed.

There have been no reports of people breaching the rāhui.

Ngāti Kau hapū member Nicki Wakefield said the rāhui was put in place also to ensure “the health and well-being of everyone”.

Wakefield said the decision would not hinge completely on the coroner’s report but would help with discussions around how to keep people safe in the future.

Louis Rattray, parks and recreation manager for Whangārei District Council (WDC), said there had been discussions about the rāhui’s future with hapū.

Rattray said the council would meet with hapū after the report release to discuss next steps.

Mark Scott, Māori outcomes manager for WDC, said the “tragic event” last year provoked a discussion among Whangārei tribes that had not been considered for “several generations” around the cultural utilisation of the cave systems as a depository for the remains of the deceased.

“It brought back the memories shared by tribal elders from their time, as experienced across the world, when foreigners would interfere and loot ancestral remains, carting them off to foreign shores where they now sit in international institutions such as museums.

“In the early 1900′s across all the Tai Tokerau tribes, hapū removed the interred that remained in cave systems across the region.

“Where it was found to be too difficult a task, means such as using explosives to restrict access completely to cave systems were employed.”

Scott said neither council nor the general public was aware of the historic utilisation of the cave systems until recently.

“Hapū have asked this be remedied upon any outcome regarding the opening or otherwise of the Abbey Caves.

“It will be covered in the conversations to take place once the report has been received and considered, including a bigger discussion happening about how we treat sites of significance.”

Scott said the removal of the rāhui will be similar to how it was instigated - with a cultural ceremonial practice.

This would be conducted by the respective repositories and knowledge holders from the immediate mana whenua, Ngāti Kahu o Torongare and the wider Whangārei tribes.

Wakefield said the rāhui had indeed promoted further cultural discussions.

“Our hapū has largely relied on those cultural leaders, that are no longer with us, to set the restrictions for each site (of significance).

“And I think it is timely for a generational rethink on how we as the hapū care for culturally significant sites across Whangārei.”

She said the hapū continue to send their aroha to all involved in last years’ tragedy.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.