Work has began to move the Te Arawa Waka Taua back to the Rotorua Lakefront. Photo / Rotorua Lakes Council
Work has began to move the Te Arawa Waka Taua back to the Rotorua Lakefront. Photo / Rotorua Lakes Council
Work has begun to return Te Arawa Waka Taua to the Rotorua Lakefront.
Moving the 34-year-old war canoe from outside the Energy Events Centre to the lakefront is the last major works of the $40 million Rotorua Lakefront Development project.
The project began in 2019 with the Rotorua Lakes Council contributing $20.1m and the Government $20.9m via the Provincial Growth Fund.
An additional $1m investment from Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit went to progress work on the cultural design foundation of the project.
The council issued a building consent valued at $800,000 in 2022 for a new building – or whare waka – on Lakefront Drive to house the Te Arawa Waka Taua
In a statement today, the council said the whare waka would “enable our community and visitors to view and connect with the Te Arawa taonga.”
Artist's impression of the new whare waka. Photo / Rotorua Lakes Council
Local contractor Urbo Homes has begun to ready the site, west of the playground, for the building’s foundations.
The building has been designed by local architects DCA Architects of Transformation in collaboration with Te Arawa artist and master carver Lyonel Grant, Te Arawa Waka Trust and BSK Consulting Engineers.
Grant, who carved the waka taua by hand in 1989, will provide carved elements and design features for the building, the council said.
Kaihautu and Te Arawa Waka trust member, Paora Te Hurihanganui, said Te Arawa Waka Trust had a legacy that influenced all waka in the region long before the carving of the Te Arawa waka.
“The new developments allow us to remember such past influencers as Mauri Ora Kingi, Putu Mihaka and Laurie Durand who have all been integral leaders in the Te Arawa Waka Taua history and future.
“Waka are hugely important as cultural connectors to the well-being of our waterways, especially our lakes such as Lake Rotorua,” he said.
The whare waka has been designed to ensure the waka was able to be viewed by all lakefront visitors while also being secure and protected from the elements, the council’s statement said.
Te Arawa Waka Taua currently sits at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. Photo / Ben Fraser
“There will be an open glass façade, with targeted lighting to illuminate the expanse and size of the waka.
“The building’s orientation and location within the reserve would give prominence to the taonga, a clear view from the lake through to Tutanekai St and Te Manawa.”
The building’s layout and surrounding landscape would allow the vessel to be moved to and from the lake during cultural events.
The council said construction would take about seven months and the site would be fenced off.
The waka taua was housed at the lakefront prior to the development and has been temporarily stored outside the Rotorua Energy Events Centre while the Lakefront Development Project was under way.
