Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Tearful conclusion to beautiful river trip

By Laurel Stowell
Whanganui Chronicle·
20 Jan, 2017 11:18 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Tira Hoe Waka ties up for lunch at at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on Wednesday.

The Tira Hoe Waka ties up for lunch at at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on Wednesday.

This year's 28th Tira Hoe Waka was one of the smaller ones, but one of the best co-ordinator Susan Osborne can remember.

"I struggle with the right words to say how overwhelming and how beautiful it was," she said.

There were nearly 60 Whanganui iwi descendants paddling from Taumarunui to Pipiriki on the annual two-week journey of learning.

Some stopped there, while the others continued to Whanganui, lunching at Pakaitore/Moutoa Gardens on Wednesday and leaving from Putiki Marae on Thursday.

There were a lot of tears - of joy and laughter as well as sorrow - and a lot of history and many waiata (songs) were learned. The rangatahi (young people) played games that made their elders long to join in.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Kai co-ordinators provided food that was "second to none" and about 50 people supported the paddlers, travelling by road to meet them at marae.

The river was higher than usual, Ms Osborne said, and most of the rain happened only at night.

The moment when the waka (canoes) formed up across the river from Putiki Marae to await their final welcome was especially memorable.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was very unified. Probably the most united our tira has been for many, many years."

In the evaluations people spoke of how they had found a connection and a belonging to their river. One woman who has been living in Australia said she wanted to return here.

It was Ms Osborne's last year as volunteer co-ordinator, but she was confident young people would carry it on. She wanted to thank her people for the opportunity to learn and give back.

The group now goes on to Ratana Pa to take part in the Ratana 25th celebrations. Also this year will be the third reading of the Whanganui River's settlement legislation in Parliament.

Discover more

'Good chance to reconnect' on spiritual journey

23 Dec 04:00 PM

"That will be a major milestone, given that our tupuna fought for the river and its wellbeing and our people."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Opinion

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM

Former members are 'more than welcome' to return, RSA Welfare Trust president says.

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP