Ancestral home ready for next step

Local Maori have held a ceremony to celebrate ancestral house Te Awa I Manukau being commended by the New Zealand Heritage Trust, who have recognised the important wharenui as a 'Whare Tupuna'.

The Maori ancestral house will also be getting a fresh new look over the coming weeks.

Henare Walmsley from Paekiri Northcroft-Moke Whanau Trust, said the ancestral house was built for Bella Papakura by her husband Aperiama Wiari around 1925 and still stands today.

Ihapera (Isabella) Pattison Thom, who later became known as Bella Papakura or Guide Bella, was one of the most requested guides of her time, showcasing the cultural and natural wonders of Whakarewarewa to tourists from all over the world.

Bella Moke, whose grandmother was Guide Bella's niece, currently lives beside the ancestral house and grew up in the village.

She said the wharenui was always used as place for family to stay in the past and the restoration would mean they could use it for that again.

"For all of us, through Paekiri, this is our home though we are very clear and feel very privileged that we come here through Guide Bella.

"We are grateful to Guide Bella for the privilege of being able to share what was her home. I now can't wait for the next step and that is to renovate and restore this precious taonga."

The year 2020 will mark 150 years since her birth in 1870 and is the target date for completion of a project designed to pay homage to her memory.

Restoration of Te Awa I Manukau, the small, carved wharepuni next to the Moke family home at the top of Tukiterangi St in Whaka village, is seen by her descendants as an appropriate way to recognise the contribution Guide Bella made to Whakarewarewa and a reminder of her mana and prestige.

Mr Walmsley said this was only the second Maori Whare taonga in the category of 'Whare Tupuna' to be recognised by Te Pouhere Taonga NZHT in this second year of the category.