MEMORIES OF OUR VALLEY

Te Ao Hou, December 1958, Page 32

MEMORIES OF OUR VALLEY by NGAHINATURAE TE UIRA TAHAROA–how isolated it is—a small secluded Maori settlement bounded to the North and East by bush-clad hills; to the South by the Taharoa Lake and to the West by the ever thundering breakers of the Tasman Sea as it meets the expensive sand-dunes of the propossed Iron and Steel Industry. Inland from the sand dunes is the farming land of fertile soil, interspersed here and there with streams and swamps. Taharoa is situated nine miles from the nearest township of Kawhia to the north and sixty miles from Otorohanga and Te Kuiti to the east. Access to Taharoa is difficult and there are two main routes. From Kawhia, one travels by launch across the harbour to Te Maika, where is situated a small grocery store and a post office from which the Taharoa people collect their mail and make odd purchases of food. From Te Maika, one must be a reasonable horseman, for the road that lies ahead is no road, but a track, across mudflats, through hilly bush country, ever winding uphill and downhill, to the inessant slush, slush of hogholes and squetching mud under the horses' hooves for seven miles; then suddenly between the ridges overlooking the fringes of the bush, one sees Taharoa in the distance—a valley-like vision, green, peaceful and secluded. Now perhaps the other route, from Otorohanga or Te Kuiti, past the Waitomo Caves, has one advantage—that is, one can travel by car over the sixty miles to the end of the road—the Taharoa Lakeside. However, in taking this route, one must make arrangements beforehand to be General view of the ore field with the lake on the left and the sea coast on the right. The settlement is in the foreground on the left. (W. Martin photograph)

Paica Makate and daughter Maria in centre a vast area of dunes. (W. Martin photograph) met by one of the met by once of the boat owners of Taharoa, other wise one may suffer the misfortune of being stranded without anyone knowing about it. If arrangements have been made, then the traveller will reach Taharoa after half an hour's ride over the Lake on an outboard motor boat. The Maori families are almost divided, geographically, into two settlements. The settlement nearest the Lake consists of nine homes and the only school, and almost five miles away, nearer the coast the other five homes are situated. Each settlement has its own meeting house, but unlike usual Maori villages, the private homes are not centred in close proximity to these meeting houses, but scattered over wide areas. Each home is of modern up to date standard, built by the owners, fully furnished, and some with refrigerators and washing machines worked by kerosene fed motors. Every home has a telephone and almost every home has a radio powered by portable hatteries. This is in spite of the fact that the area, due to roading difficulties has had no State development schemes and in spite of the need to bring all building materials to the area by boat and on sleges drawn by horses. There is no electricity and cooking is done with ranges, there being no restrictions of firewood for titree is abundant. Lighting is provided by the use of Tilley and Coleman benzine lamps and almost every housewife has a kerosene steam iron. These fourteen families are descendants of their common ancestor. Intermarriage is er aged by the older members of the families indeed is common, but out of the for families in Taharoa today, only one marris the result of the Maori custom of betroth birth. Three of the wives, although relates from outside the Taharoa District. Families co-operate at crop planting harvesting times, at sheep shearing times a communal gatherings such as weddings, sports, football and basketball matche funerals, and annually, at the local Cora celebrations of the Maori King, of what people are loyal supporters. The school and the local football and basketball teams visit outside districts for matches, and the and junior players of football never practis they almost always win their matches win result that “Home” matches are quite free and young and old travel by horse from the near to watch. On the whole, the life of the people re around the growing, the harvesting and procuring of food and the maintaining of sheep dry stock. Dairy farming was common some years ago but because of the high cost cartage of cream, people switched over to farming for which the fertile lands are excellently suited. All farmers now have their own sheds and shear by machine, shearing being co-operative effort of the whole community.