Martinborough’s Hau Ariki Marae will feature on television’s Marae DIY programme. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
HAYLEY GASTMEIER
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Martinborough’s Hau Ariki Marae will next month take centre stage on a national television show celebrating its 100th episode.
The Regent St marae will be given some TLC over a four-day period when the Marae DIY team comes to town.
Marae DIY brings together tribes and communities around Aotearoa to rebuild and restore their respective marae.
A television crew will be in Martinborough from May 17 to 20, with the episode to be broadcast later this year on TV3 and Maori Television.
Hau Ariki Marae chairman Kevin Haunui said the renovations would include improving access to the dining hall and fixtures in the men’s washroom area, guttering, and painting areas of marae, and replacing worn weatherboards.
Additional work to be carried out would be creating new gardens and fences, and potentially a new carved entryway to the marae.
Mr Haunui said Hau Ariki would feature on Marae DIY’s 100th episode, on which kuia, or female elders, will reflect on their experiences at the marae.
Being on the show was an opportunity to bring together the community to help with the marae projects, which might have otherwise taken many years to complete.
Mr Haunui said it was also a chance to celebrate Hau Ariki Marae as a community and regional facility.
Screentime NZ, which is producing the show, will provide the project management expertise and their sponsorship contacts, while Hau Ariki will provide the funding and volunteers, including specialised trades.
People wanting to donate or volunteer on the project can get in touch by going to the Hau Ariki Marae’s Facebook page.
Morena everyone,
Although I couldn’t make it to the DIY until 19th & 20th May (Saturday afternoon & Sunday) the number of volunteers involved & the work they had done already was amazing – because I work in the volunteer sector for WCC I know how hard it can be sometimes to mobilise people to help, but in the case of the Hau Ariki DIY project it appeared to be passion & community pride that rallied not only locals, contractors, companies, but others from afar to turn out for this project.
I would especially like to thank Trevor, Johnny, Kevin, Greg & their team (especially our kitchen crew who feed us so well that extra kilos were an unfortunate bonus to our endeavours) for their leadership not only for this DIY but for the past years of angst & struggle to keep our marae afloat.
A special mention also to the Maori Television film crew who definitely engaged with the people & helped to make this a memorable 100th celebration of MARAE DIY.
In conclusion I would like to mihi (acknowledge) everyone who contributed to Hau Ariki Marae DIY project & to remember those Kaumatua now past who started with just a dream that is now reality….people like Polly & George, Wally, Hanna & Hori, Tui, Mack & Pexie, Josie & my mother Teau (I apologise for the others that I have missed from this list)
Finally a common theme from the weekend that kept ‘popping-up’ during conversations & that was – “Hau Ariki is Martinborough’s marae” for all the community to be proud to be associated with moving forward into the future regardless of which iwi (nationality/tribe) you come from!