Seeing things differently

Rongo te mauri is Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre’s motto, meaning ‘feel life’s essence’. It’s also an instruction to all of us on Te Hīkoi o Pūkaha, a new two-hour cultural tour of the wildlife centre. By Katherine Robinson. Photos by Sarah Watkins.

Photo; Sarah Watkins

Our guides, Wayne Pitau and Evelyne Chase tell us to watch and listen to the sights and sounds of the moment and experience the ‘mauri,’ life force of the bush. Chatter stops and cell phones are switched off. Birdsong and the sound of traditional Māori instruments accompany us on a journey that subtly shifts perceptions of the natural world and our place in it.

Both Wayne and Evelyne are gifted storytellers, introducing us to some of Pūkaha’s residents, including Kahurangi the kōkako, whose fondness for male visitors means she wolf whistles as Wayne walks past. We hear the story of how the selfless kiwi, alone among the birds, was brave enough to lose its wings and agree to leave the bright canopy to live on the damp forest floor, saving the trees from predatory insects. Even if you have heard this legend before, it resonates more when you are standing watching Manukura the white kiwi forage in twilight.

Evelyne Chase. Photo: Sarah Watkins.

Bush lore and natural remedies are also touched on, as is the Māori perspective
of working within the natural world. The conservation message is given with warmth, grace, even humour – which makes it all the more powerful and moving. If we acknowledge what has been lost over the last 200 years, it also makes us more eager to nurture what is left.

Proving to be as popular with locals as with overseas visitors, the guided tour has been created from a desire to work more closely with Rangitāne - the kaitaiaki (guardians) of Pūkaha – and in response to visitor feedback.

Pūkaha general manager Emily Court told the Wairarapa Times Age: “These tours are incredibly special for all of us. Visitors get rich stories of Māori whakapapa (genealogy), wairoatunga (spirituality) and whenua (land) alongside Pūkaha history to really connect them spiritually with our site “In turn the tour is also a huge step forward in cementing the long-term relationship that we have with Rangitāne and in telling their stories to future generations.”

Beginning with a pōwhiri and ending in a waiata, the tour includes delicious kai – kawakawa tea, homemade jam, and morsels of fried bread. For more information: www.pukaha.org.nz