Puketepapa-Mt Roskill’s newest taonga
Auckland City Council News
17 August 2010
Ngati Whatua o Orakei blessing the new path at Puketepapa-Mt Roskill and the waharoa (gateway).
The SH20 cycle and pathway was opened on Sunday morning, 25 July 2010.
The beautiful dawn saw representatives of Ngati Whatua o Orakei blessing the new path at Puketepapa-Mt Roskill and the waharoa (gateway) which stands at its starting point – the newest taonga (treasure) in Mt Roskill.
Later in the morning people arrived with their bikes, pushchairs, kids and dogs for the opening event which began with a welcome from Richard Barter, chairperson of the Mt Roskill community board, and speeches from Deputy Mayor David Hay and Councillor Baguley, chairperson of Auckland City Council's Transport Committee. Ngarimu Blair, Ngati Whatua o Orakei leader, spoke on the history of Puketepapa-Mt Roskill. Arekatera Maihi, the carver of the magnificent kauri waharoa, introduced his fellow carver Boydie Te Nahuhis and talked about the carving - for example, Puketapapa means "flat top" and the flat top of the waharoa represents that.
The carving on the centrepiece shows a series of horizontal lines that curve over and under each other representing the movement of tectonic plates and volcanic activity that played a significant part in shaping the Auckland landscape. Above this, an uncarved area represents the unknown future. On either side, facing inwards is a carving of a woman and a man. These are ancestors and represent the many people who have inhabited the mountain in the past. The design of the cloaks worn by the ancestors indicates their high esteem and their significance for people of today.
Richard Barter invited everyone to walk the path with Ngarimu Blair who gave a detailed history of Puketapapa and its people.
After all this gentle exercise on a bright and cool morning, everyone was invited to warm up with a cuppa and a sausage sizzle or pumpkin soup. The chat round the barbecue was full of praise for the 360m cycle and pathway and admiration for the uniqueness and beauty of the waharoa.
