Ko Te Kaorere tetehi o nga tino taonga e pupuritia ana e nga uri o Ngati Whakaue. Ki a hoki noa atu tenei korero ki te riri o Hongi ki a Te Arawa i horo ai tetihi o Mokoia i te tau kotahi mano , e waru rau, e rua tekau ma toru. He parekura nui e whia ke nga rangatira ki te moenga. Kaore i patua te katoa ka mau herengia etehi ko tetehi o nga tupuna i mauherengia ko Rawiri he uri no Te Kohu.
Ko Tiniraupeka tetehi o ona ingoa karanga. Kati na Rawiri ka heke iho ki a Taekata ki a Taro na wai ra ki a Arawhata ratou ko ona taina.
Na Rawiri ano ka heke iho ki a Whakatoro heke iho ki a Mita heke iho iho ki a Pirika ratou ko ona taina ki a Te Kira me Te Wharetoroa Tiniraupeka. He kuia poipoi i to matou kuia a Hilda Inia nona e itiiiti ai. Ko Te Kira tona tupuna. Katahi te korero nei. Ka riro a Rawiri i tona rangatira ka hoki atu raua ki Tauranga ki reira noho ai, ko Ngai Te Rangi me te tini o Nga Puhi ka roa rawa atu ratou e noho ana i Tauranga ka hoki te matua ki Raro, ka wehe ratou. Ka mahuetia te nui o Ngai Te Rangi me nga herehere. Na te pai o ta raua ko tona rangatira noho ka ahua penei i te noho a te taina me te tuakana tena i te rangatira me te herehere, na reira ka mama ake ai te wairua o Rawiri. Kaore i mohiotia te ingoa o tona rangatira. Nana e noho kau ka kitea e ia te iringa o te mere pounamu ki te patu o te whare ko Te Kaoreore tetehi o nga mere nui i rawekengia i te horonga o Mokoia.
Ka uru mai te whakaaro ki te raweke i te mere a tona rangatira. I te po i whakaaro ai ia ki te oma ka moe ana te rangatira me te tatari o Rawiri tana kitehanga atu kua warea te rangatira ki te moe ka whakatika a Rawiri ka oma me te mere ki a Te Kaoreore, ka uta ki te waka, hoea rawatia te moana ka whakawhiti i Maunganui awatea rawa ake tu ana a Rawiri i runga o Maketu. Katahi ia ka tae ki Ohinemutu ki te rahi o Ngati Whakaue. Na Haerehuka ki a Te Kanapu Haerehuka nana ki a Kapene Mea he hoia Pakeha i tupu ngatahi me nga uri o Te Arawa, e tata ana tona matua tane te hemo ka homai te mere ki a Mea, na reira i riro ai i a Mea tenei taonga nui. Na Raumati tuturu a Te Kaoreore ko Raumati te tupuna no te wa o Hatupatu me etehi atu o nga kahika tu wao o te nehenehe, kati – ka wera te waka o Te Arawa i a Raumati ka whaia rawatia e Hatupatu, a, ka tu raua ki Te Panepane kai te takiwa o Mauao i mua i tana patunga ka homai e Raumati a Te Kaoreore hai mere tuku i a ia ki te moenga kura. Na reira i riro ai tenei taonga i Te Arawa. Whoi ano ka kitea tonutia tenei mere pounamu i te whare pupuri taonga o Te Arawa.
Panepane to the left of Mauao.
Among the many treasures held by the Ngāti Whakaue is one such mere-pounamu named Te Kaoreore.
In 1823 following the successful attack by Hongi Hika upon the Arawa people, many stories were told.
It was an excellent day for Nga Puhi and a sad time for the Arawa people. Many people lost their lives.
Many valuable items were also claimed as war loot, and many captives were taken. One of whom was Rawiri. Also known Tiniraupeka.
Rawiri had many descendants, many of whom still are active within the hapu of Ngati Whakaue and the township of Rotorua. From one of these unions, Rawiri had Mita, Mita had Pirika, Te Kira and Te Wharetoroa.
This blind kuia Te Wharetoroa was looked after by our kuia Hilda Inia. Her grandparent was Te Kira. So, Rawiri, unfortunately, was taken captive after the fall of Mokoia and with many of his relations taken back to Tauranga with the combined forces of Ngai Te Rangi and Nga Puhi.
Nga Puhi did not stay long in Tauranga before heading back north. Gradually over time, the relationship between Rawiri and his captor moved from one of service to a relationship very similar to an older and younger brother.
Unfortunately, the name of his captor has been lost. However, whilst with this chief, Rawiri noticed the short greenstone weapon hanging on the wall and knew it to be Te Kaoreore.
It was then that Rawiri decided that he would take the weapon and return it to his people. As the relationship grew friendlier, an opportunity arose where his rangatira slept heavily. Rawiri decided that the moment was nigh.
Taking the weapon, he quietly departed the house and village before slowly and cautiously making his way to the boats that were pulled not too far up on the shore. From Maunganui, he departed, and as day broke, he found himself in the safety of his peoples' territory; he had arrived at Maketu.
From Maketu, he journeyed back to Ohinemutu to be reunited with the attack survivors. The weapon was acquired by Haerehuka, who then passed it to his son Te Kanapu and on the death of his father, Te Kaoreore was passed to Gilbert Mair, a trusted friend of some of the Arawa tribes.
The weapon itself briefly belonged to Raumati, the great chief who set the Arawa waka ablaze. This attack was swiftly avenged by Hatupatu, who, having chased Raumati from Maketu to Te Panepane, caught him; he had exhausted the chief with a great show of determination and endurance.
Raumati's last request was that he fall by the blade of his weapon and therefore presented Hatupatu with Te Kaoreore.
