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MMEC welcomes international tourists to Te Pane o Mataaoho

Adult tourism groups visiting Te Pane o Mataaoho arrive curious about the land, the stories, and the history of Aotearoa. Many are looking for something more than a highlight stop or photo opportunity. They want to understand where they are and why this place matters.As groups walk the maunga, they engage with Maaori history in a way that feels grounded and real. The landscape invites questions about how people lived here, how the land was shaped and cared for, and how those relationships contin...

Community connections - Te Puea Marae, aute and kuumara

Over the past week, our kaimahi have had the opportunity to take part in some incredible kaupapa. This included visiting Te Parapara at Hamilton Gardens and learning different traditional techniques for planting kuumara. While in Kirikiriroa, we also attended an incredible exhibition of aute expert Atarangi Anderson's mahi at Laree Payne Gallery. Aute is one of the traditional tree species that we proudly grow at our centre, and we have been fortunate to learn from Atarangi, so it was fitti...

Ngaa mokopuna a Hine-puu-te-hue

After attending hue waananga and gathering maatauranga about the hue, we decided to approach our hue planting in a more traditional and tika way. This was done by following the maramataka and recording the whakapapa of each variety. All significant planting steps have been carried out during phases of the marama known to be ideal for planting, as shown by the labels on each hue. These labels also help us understand which variety of hue is which. A few of our varieties include Pongaaihu, Tahaa, a...

Nau mai, haere mai, e ngaa Kura Kaupapa Maaori o Aotearoa!

We recently welcomed Te Kura Kaupapa Maaori o Hoani Waititi Marae back to Maangere Mountain Education Centre for their second visit—a full day conducted entirely in Te Reo Maaori.Their haerenga included a guided walk up Te Pane o Mataaoho, transplanting one of our traditional crops—the hue (gourd)—into pots ready to grow and be planted in summer, and finished off with a waananga inside Taawhiao’s Cottage, located on our centre grounds.It's wonderful to host roopu...

He taonga te aute

At Te Whare Akoranga o Te Pane o Mataoho, we were honoured to welcome Atarangi Anderson, a renowned tohunga mahi aute, who generously shared her maatauranga with our team. Her visit was a deeply enriching experience, connecting us to the ancient art of aute and the cultural legacy it carries.Aute, also known as the paper mulberry tree, holds a special place in the traditions of many Pacific cultures. Under Atarangi’s expert guidance, we learned the intricate process of transforming the bark of...

Bringing traditional Maaori knowledge to you

Recently, our team had the privilege of hosting a group of local residents at the Kāinga Ora facilities for a hands-on workshop focused on Rongoaa Māori (medicinal gardens) and Maara Kai (traditional gardening). It was an enriching experience where we not only shared knowledge about Indigenous practices, but also formed meaningful connections with individuals from the Pacific Islands, discovering how our cultural stories align in beautiful and unexpected ways.During the workshop, we also took ...