Tauranga means "continuous settlement". It is a place my whanau has stayed, long before the arrival of settlers to the area. He aroha mai ano, no tuawhakarere: My adoration for Tauranga transcends what the eye sees, but dwells where the heart beats and it will forever be my spiritual sanctuary.
I was born and bred a Tauranga girl. My parents were both raised here. As were my grandparents and great grandparents, and so forth. The lines of descent and connection to the land are part of my genetic make up.
Growing up a stone's throw from Rangataua Sports and Cultural Club and Maungatapu Marae, I was constantly surrounded by family, sport, music and the beach. Swimming in the Rangataua Bay and jumping off the Maungatapu Bridge were normal pastimes with the cousins. My dad used to tell me off something wicked for attempting to leap off that traffic-laden bridge but alas, my ears were never switched on. That's normal behaviour when you are the baby of the family.
