Ngāti Rangi open new wharekai/dining hall at Ōhakune marae after decades of fundraising

After decades of fundraising, Ngāti Rangi celebrated as they opened their new Hohourongo dining hall in Ōhakune on April 26.

Ngāti Rangi have opened their new wharekai (dining hall), Hohourongo, the first significant build on Maungārongo marae in Ōhakune in nearly 40 years.

“It was a beautiful day,” Che Wilson of Maungārongo marae said.

“Two very big dining rooms opened in the same week. We’re extremely lucky to have that as a region, let alone as each marae.”

Putiki marae opened its reconstructed wharekai the week before.

About 200 people attended the ceremony, including the head of the Rātana Church, paramount chiefs of Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Muaūpoko iwi from Levin, and representatives from Taranaki, who performed the dawn blessing.

Ngāti Rangi celebrated with surrounding iwi as they opened their new Hohourongo dining hall in Ōhakune on April 26.

“It was amazing to have so many of our whānau return and to have so many people from around the country,” Wilson said.

The new building takes over from the 100-year-old wharekai built when the marae was first registered in 1926.

Ngāti Tui-o-Nuku are the residing hapu of Maungārongo marae.

Its kitchen was condemned, but the front part was retained, resting still at the bottom of the marae, for extra space and overflow seating.

“It’s in the flood zone, so you’re not allowed to build a new building, but you are allowed to keep that building up.

“So we’ve done minimal touch-ups for that, and then had to move to a different location for the new build. Kept the same name.”

Both indoor areas could hold about 400 people, Wilson said.

The main area of the marae was closed for three years during the construction.

The on-site Ngāti Rangi Community Health Centre, kōhanga reo (te reo Māori-immersion school), and papakāinga, where people live, were still active.

“It’s a living marae, so you can’t close down everything,” Wilson said.

He said Maungārongo had traditionally been the busiest marae in the region, in terms of use.

“When you have to close the marae, you’re then reliant on other marae to look after you when you have tangihanga [funerals]“, he said.

“Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to farewell our loved ones in the best way possible.”

Carvers from Te Ao Hou marae in Aramoho completed the carvings for the front of the new Hohourongo wharekai and the artwork inside.

The front of the Hohourongo dining hall in Ōhakune was crafted by carvers of Te Ao Hou marae in Whanganui.

Two bells are exhibited in the carvings, paying homage to Mere Rikiriki, a Māori prophetess of Ngāti Apa and teacher to Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana and Te Māreikura, Wilson’s great-grandfather.

“Some of the gifts that she gave to Te Māreikura included two bells. One bell to sustain the wairua [spirit], and one bell to sustain the kikokiko, the physical.

“Those two bells in the carving, the physical bells, which came from Parewanui, they’re still at home. They were retired some time ago, and the kai bell will probably go on display in the wharekai at some stage,” Wilson said.

The last significant build on Maungārongo marae was the meeting house in 1988.

Since then, Ngāti Rangi had been fundraising for the new Hohourongo wharekai, Wilson said.

A total of $100,000 was approved from Oranga Marae for a feasibility study for the planned wharekai, and an additional $1,922,757 for the build.

Oranga Marae was set up by Te Puni Kōkiri and the Department of Internal Affairs in 2018 to support numerous marae projects around the country through annual grant applications.

Ngā Waihua o Paerangi Trust manager Deana Wilson said the wharekai construction was part of a five-year strategic plan, created in 2021.

It also involved numerous annual wānanga, launching two waiata books and a whakapapa book, documenting marae history, developing a marae engagement plan, and a papakāinga development plan.

“What we have achieved has been through the efforts of our whānau and wider whānau,” Deana Wilson said.

Noam Mānuka Lazarus (Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara) is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle.