He Tuuhono Whakapakari Tinana
Recently, the VOYCE Ōtautahi team held a series of tūhono (events) called He Tūhono Whakapakari Tīnana – the aim of this tūhono was to create open activation spaces for our care community to come together, connect and explore new physical activities that they might not have tried before, interweaving with aspects of Te Whare Tapa Wha and Te Ao Māori. This series of events included Waka Ama, a Scavenger Hunt, a hīkoi (walk) and Weaving 101. The month of May was filled with awesome connection and fun times for our rangatahi and tamariki atawhai.
Waka Ama:
This tūhono saw a small rōpū of rangatahi all try Waka Ama for the first time! They met early Saturday morning, shared some kai and got to know each other. Elizabeth from Te Waka Pounamu taught everyone a lot about waka ama tikanga, the history of the club, and the waka the club has. Our rangatahi got out onto the moana and paddled from Naval Point Lyttleton to Rāpaki Bay. On their back a strong wind front came along, but they managed to paddle the waka back like champions. Their chanting could even be heard from the shore.
Once they got back to land, they got into the van and warmed up – and then headed to get kai. Rangatahi and kaimahi were all keen to sign up for memberships to the club and give it another try, but will be waiting for Summer!
Scavenger Hunt:
The Ōruapaeroa Scavenger Hunt was an adventure nestled within the Eastern suburbs of Christchurch. It was a cooler Friday afternoon, and a small group of tamariki and their trusted adults gathered, ready for the scavenger hunt!
The team were all greeted by our friendly Poi the Pūkeko and his mates, and as tamariki arrived they received a colourful goodie bag filled with some treats to keep their bellies full while at the tūhono!
Poi the Pūkeko, a cheerful and cheeky bird needed our help to find various scattered ideas throughout the reserve. Poi’s vibrant feathers and friendly demeanour made him an instant favourite among the tamariki, who were eager to help him. As we moved through the reserve, the tamariki eyes lit up with wonder at the native flora and fauna. The adults too, found themselves caught up in the joy of discovery, often sharing stories of their own childhood adventures in nature. The experience was a perfect blend of education and play, fostering a deep appreciation for the environment and the importance of preserving it.
Hīkoi:
This tūhono was small but fun, with a couple of rangatahi coming along for a hike….that turned into a walk! The team did a hīkoi along the Harry Ell track up to the Sign of the Takahe where on one side you have a view of all of Ōtautahi and on the other, you have a view of Lyttelton Harbour.
Weaving 101:
On Friday 17th May the Ōtautahi team bought care experienced rangatahi and their whānau come together for an afternoon of kai, kōrero and weaving. They all gathered together at Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi an kicked off with a delicious meal of boil up, pumpkin soup and fried bread cooked by one of our young rangatira. The kaiako taught the team how to weave putiputi (flowers) then showed everyone how to properly harvest harakeke; what to do, when to do it, how to cut it, and karakia to say beforehand.
They then gathered together to learn how to weave putiputi and had an absolute blast with lots of laughs (and also lots of frustration) as everyone tried to tackle this new skill together. It was awesome seeing our young rangatira (youth leaders) take a lead in different parts of the experience and helping one another with their putiputi. In the end, everyone had a beautiful bouquet to takeaway and could say they learnt a new skill. The team were also supposed to play some traditional Māori games but everyone loved the weaving so much we couldn’t get anyone away to play… we’ll have to make sure we do that next time!
Overall an awesome experience with our VOYCE whānau and care-experienced rangatahi.
