Te Pae Roa

A massive mihi to the wonderful Rawene Craft Group, who come together every Friday in Rawene. 🧶

They’ve kindly put their hands up to support our Healthy Homes & Energy Saver Programme, making draught stoppers for whānau as part of our home assessments across the Hokianga.

Made from end-of-roll fabric and material off-cuts that would otherwise end up in landfill, it’s a simple idea that puts local skills and resources back into supporting local whānau.

From the fresh whakaaro of our rangatahi to the time, pūkenga and aroha of those who have long supported our communities — everyone has something to bring.

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.
Our strength is collective. 🏠✨

Earlier this week we spent the day in a strategy wānanga with our whānau at WAHA. On paper they're a creative content business. Spend time with them and you see a whānau enterprise taking te ao Māori from the kāinga to the world.

Mum and Dad built WAHA on decades of relationships across rongoā practitioners, kapa haka, iwi leadership and the corporate world. Their sons and nephew bring the taiohi lens: visual culture, storytelling, and business savvy they don't even realise they have. You see it in how they capture people, place and mauri. With a stellar track record behind them, they're ready for the next stage of growth and leadership.

We've worked with over 100 pakihi Māori, but we can't go deep with too many at once. Off-the-shelf packages work for some. We walk with the ones who are up for a longer journey, where trust has been tested and the ripples reach community. When we strengthen each other and then come together on a kaupapa, the value multiplies.

On the surface WAHA is our opposite. Young tāne, creatives, leading in the fast-moving digital world. Social media isn't high on the aunties of Te Pae Roa's priority list 😂 But we're the same where it counts: Te Tai Tokerau whakapapa, values, and contributing to something bigger than our own nets.

At the Tiaki Taonga symposium we were reminded by Kura Moehau “Ka pū te ruha, ka hao te rangatahi. Oti anō ngā rangatahi, pātai atu ki ngā ruha, kei whea ngā ika?”

Cast the old net aside and let the new net go fishing, but the new net must ask the old net where all the fish are 💚

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

For us, it’s not always about the big things. It’s in the everyday moments. The reo we heard from our karani, the reo we grow in ourselves, the wero we set as a team, and the space we make for our whānau to grow theirs.

He iti pea, he taonga tonu.

Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu 💚

This 80s trend is hot 🔥 and so are we  💅🏽
But AI-generated images?
✅Fun
✅Fast
✅Trending
❌Is this really you?
❌Cultural misappropriation
❌Ethical concerns
He aha ō whakaaro?

Turn’s out whakapapa-led impact is chic💅🏽

5 years of Ems at Te Pae Roa!
 
Five years, countless deep dives, plenty of “stuff and things” 😂, a few “umm… tell me more” moments, and of course, swear words with a smile and a giggle 🤭
 
We asked our kaimahi: What’s one word or phrase that comes to mind when you think of Ems?
 
The answers say it all — menemene, facilitation queen, discipline, deep dives, clarity, possibility, constructive movement… and someone who creates the conditions for people to stay in the light when the kōrero gets difficult.
 
E mihi nui ana, Ems, for five years of bringing your whakaaro, humour, wisdom and heart to Te Pae Roa. 💜
 
Here’s to the next chapter! 🥂✨

Mānawatia a Matariki mā Puanga✨Nā Te Pae Roa✨

It’s Te Pae Roa itch 💃🏽🕺