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Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa & Rangitāne o Wairarapa

Wairarapa Moana

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa. Wairarapa Moana, meaning “sea of glistening waters”, comprises Lake Wairarapa – the third largest lake in the North Island – and Lake Onoke (also known as Lake Ferry), which naturally opens and closes to the sea. Lakes Pounui and Nganoke are also lakes of significant natural and cultural value in southern Wairarapa, both located on private property.

A collection of lake stories

Honouring a strong story-telling tradition, the Lakes380 iwi rohe study has focussed on producing an online collection of filmed interviews with members of the Wairarapa community who are dedicated to restoring the ecological health and mauri of their lakes. This repository of stories holds diverse personal memories, cultural knowledge and scientific information that enriches our understanding and appreciation of these taonga (treasures). These documentaries are shared with the intention of informing and supporting the many ecological restoration efforts underway to improve the health of Wairarapa Moana and, in turn, to uplift the cultural and social wellbeing within Wairarapa communities.

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Lake Nganoke

Toitū te Whenua, Toitū te Moana, Toitū te Tangata

cover

Ngā tohu nō Onoke

Tohi cover

Tohi – Rawiri Smith

Kohunui marae wānanga

Kohunui Wānanga

Pae tū Mokai o Tauira cover

Pae tū Mokai o Tauira

Kei hea ngā tuna cover

Kei hea ngā tuna

Listen to these pūrākau (stories) to deepen your connection with Wairarapa Moana cover

Whakarongo mai

He Hokinga mahara -Recollections by Nelson Rangi video cover

He Hokinga mahara nā Nelson Rangi

Tuku Rangatira - A Chiefly Gift video cover

Tuku Rangatira – A Chiefly Gift

battle of the lakes video cover

The battle of the lakes

tuna or eels

Whakapapa Kōrero

Kākahi in the Wairarapa

Kākahi – Freshwater mussels cleaning our lakes

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Lake Nganoke

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Pounui

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Onoke

South Wairarapa

Wellington

Barton’s Lagoon

Wairarapa

Wellington

Lake Rototawai

Wairarapa

Wellington

Matthews Lagoon

Wairarapa

Wellington

Significant to many

Wairarapa Moana holds great significance for Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Wairarapa. Their tribal pūrākau (stories), mātauranga Māori (knowledge) and whakataukī (proverbs) signal the importance of these waterbodies for physical nourishment and spiritual sustenance over many generations. Marae, pā sites, and seasonal fishing settlements populated the lake margins, and tuna (eels) especially were a significant resource for the local population.

Extensive wetland drainage and flood protection works, initially for sheep farming and more recently the dairy industry, have significantly altered the hydrology of the lakes. Together with the diversion of the Ruamāhanga River and forest clearance throughout the catchment, these changes have contributed to dramatic impacts on lake water quality and quantity and aquatic flora and fauna. Sediment cores taken from the lakes by the Lakes380 team record these changes over time, as well as major natural hazard events such as the 1855 earthquake.

Lakes 380 reversed logo
About
  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
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    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Virtual Experience
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Our Lakes

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    • Northland
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    • Marlborough
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    • Southland
  • Coastal Lakes
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About

  • The Project
  • The Science
    • Field Sampling
    • Laboratory Analysis
    • Student Projects
  • Science Aims
  • Rohe Studies
    • Rangitīkei Iwi Rohe Study
    • Wairarapa Moana iwi rohe study
  • Virtual Experience
  • Social Science
  • Iwi Relationships
  • The Team
    • Lakes380 Team
    • Advisory Groups
    • Lakes380 Co-lead Institutes​
    • National Collaborators
    • International Collaborators
  • Partners

Resources

  • Contact & Links
  • Blog, News & Publications
  • Video Gallery
  • Results
  • Glossary