Te Taha o te Awa

 

Te Taha o te Awa, located at 2 Greenwood Place in Westport, on the corner with Roebuck Street, is an important site for our Pūaha te Rangi whānau.

 

It was here that tipuna Hoani Mahuika II built a small whare for his whānau after relocating from another block of whānau land, known as Victoria Pā or the Māori Pā, further up the Kawatiri River.

 

The land the whare is built on was once in the ownership of the Mahuika whānau but was taken by the Crown under the Public Works Act in the late 1800s to build a hospital. However, a hospital was never built on that location - and the land was never returned to the whānau. The council eventually agreed to, not return, but lease the land back to whānau, and a dwelling was eventually built in 1897.

A century later, between 1999 to 2001, work began on the demolition of the old whare, which was in a  poor state of repair, and a new residential whare was built on the site. The ashes and some timber from the old whare are buried under the house, as a taonga and reminder of the continued occupation of this land. 

Some years later, the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trusts bought the lease from the council and designated the new dwelling as a facility for use by iwi members. It was named “Te Taha o te Awa”.

Many hapū events such as hapū and whakapapa wānanga and reunions have been held here. Members are also welcome to rent the whare for private use.

  

BOOKING PROCESS

 

1. Contact us

Contact the office by phone on 0800 578 900, by email at office@ngatiapakiterato.iwi.nz or via our website to confirm availability.

 

2. Complete Booking Form

Once availability has been confirmed, you will be sent a Booking Form with Terms and Conditions, which must be completed, signed, and returned to us, along with payment of the bond, to secure your booking. 

 

3. Costs

  • TARIFF: A minimum charge of $65.00 per night (GST incl.) applies and covers up to five persons over the age of five years. A further charge of $7.00 per head, per night (GST incl.) will be charged for additional people over the age of five years. Note, at no time is the total number staying at the whare to exceed eight people, unless prior approval has been granted.

  • BOND: A refundable bond of $100.00 is required to cover cleaning of the premises, should the whare not be left in a clean and tidy state on your departure. This will be refunded within 10 working days of your departure.

  • Payment, including the bond, must be made prior to your stay.

  • Payment should be made by electronic bank transfer to 06-0601-0106003-00. Please state your last name and initials as a reference.

 

4. All done!

Once the bond has been received and the Terms and Conditions read, signed and returned, a digital code to access the property will be provided.

              

Please note ...

  • During school holidays, Christmas/New Year and other peak seasons, the whare is available for a maximum of five nights. This will not preclude the possibility of further nights if there are no other bookings for that period – please contact the office to confirm. During off-peak periods, the whare is available for a maximum of 13 nights per group.

  • Mattresses, kitchen/cleaning equipment, a washing machine and drier are provided, but users will need to supply their own linen, ie, sheets, blankets, pillowcases, towels etc.