Tania Tapsell is both the mayor of Rotorua and a busy first-time mum. Photo / Michelle Cutelli
Tania Tapsell is both the mayor of Rotorua and a busy first-time mum. Photo / Michelle Cutelli
As Rotorua Mayor and a busy first-time mum, there’s rarely a free hour on Tania Tapsell’s calendar. But that only makes her appreciate every moment with 18-month-old daughter Kahumoa even more.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” says Tapsell, 32. “But it’s also such a unique time, juggling two very important roles — serving my community through some challenging times as mayor and making sure I’m raising my daughter with all of the values I was raised with, as well as taking enough time to enjoy every moment of my baby growing up.”
In the same week Tapsell was elected mayor in October 2022, she learned she was pregnant and made a pledge to devote herself to the two biggest roles of her life simultaneously — motherhood and mayoralty.
“I’m not going to lie, it can be very stressful. Being a public servant is not a nine-to-five job — there’s often a genuine need to be flexible. But I’m grateful I was strong in having a non-negotiable ‘family comes first’ policy. I always make sure my daughter has everything she needs and that I get to spend time with her.
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell is excited about the opportunities for her daughter. Photo / Michelle Cutelli
“My favourite time is the morning when she wakes up. I relish those baby snuggles and kisses before we roll out of bed, then get her off to kōhanga.”
Referencing Kahumoa’s enrolment in kōhanga reo [full-time Māori language immersion early childhood education], Tapsell is excited about the opportunities for her girl, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.
“The first time I dropped her off, I cried all the way to council and had to fix my make-up before I went into meetings. But I love picking her up when she runs to give me a big hug.”
Both Tapsell and her husband Kanin Clancy, 42, are learning te reo Māori.
“It’s been so joyful being able to speak English and Māori at home,” she says. “Sometimes she won’t listen when I tell her to put away her toys. But if I say it in Māori, she does. I will absolutely take that as a win and happily parent in te reo.”
While work can creep into weekends, spending whānau time in their favourite parks is always on the agenda.
Both Tania and her husband are learning te reo Māori. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
“My husband and I grab a coffee and she will happily spend hours playing while we chase her. She’s a fearless little warrior and will throw herself down a slide far bigger than she is, laugh the whole way down and run back to do it all over again.”
It’s obvious how much Tapsell enjoys motherhood, but after returning to work at four weeks postpartum, she’s also refreshingly candid about the highs and lows.
“I’m in awe of the strength and power of mothers,” she says, adding it would not be possible without the support of deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong, her council colleagues and husband. “The sleep deprivation people talk about is so real and it’s certainly been a challenge sometimes when you’re not feeling 100%, but still need to give 100% to others.”
For the first year, Kanin would regularly bring Kahumoa in or travel around the country when needed so Tania could breastfeed.
After returning to work at four weeks postpartum, Tania's refreshingly candid about the highs and lows. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
“Looking back, I don’t know where I found the energy, but it was a lovely moment where during council meetings, I could stop and just be a mum,” she says. “I appreciate that is not a choice available for all mothers, but I am grateful, despite the challenges, I put in that effort for her and us.”
On the work front, Tapsell is proud of decreased crime and motel emergency housing rates in her city — as well as the ongoing restoration of the Rotorua Bath House.
She says it was a lot of fun to make movie star Jason Momoa an honorary citizen in November while he was in town with his rock band Oof Tatatá.
Tapsell says it was a lot of fun to make Jason Momoa an honorary citizen. Photo / NZ Woman's Weekly
“He spontaneously took me up on stage to open his concert and the screaming from the women was so deafening. I wondered at that point if it was the best thing I had actually delivered for Rotorua.”
Tapsell, who is training for a marathon, says motherhood has taught her that it’s all about making every moment count — and that includes prioritising time for her own mental and physical health, with regular runs to ensure she’s on top.
“With taking on such major issues for the community and also the rollercoaster of parenthood, I needed to make sure I was also looking after myself, too.
“When I left school at 16, and went straight into business studies and pursued politics, I was terrible at setting aside time for myself,” she says.
“It’s taken me until now to realise the key is having balance.”
