Te Ngahere
He kahikatea, purīri, me te kohekohe teitei ngā rākau e kī ana i tēnei wāhi, ā, kei raro ko te pūhoro o te mātipō, māhoe me te porokaiwhiri e whakamōhio mai ana ki a tātou mō te korowai taketake o tēnei whenua. Ko te kukupa, te tūī me te pīwakawaka e noho ana ki konei.
E mōhiotia ana tēnei rohe, ā, e whakahou ana i ngā pūnaha taketake o te taiao e tino hira ana ki te Mana Whenua.
E whara ana tēnei ngahere i te tinitia kahili (Kahili Ginger) me ērā atu momo tupu nā te tangata i āta whakatō, engari e whakahoki ana mātou i te kaha o te ngahere ki te whakahou ano i a ia anō, ā, e whakakore ana i ngā pepeke kino.
Kua whakatōhia e mātou te tini o ngā rākau rongoā hei whāwhā i te korowai o Papatūānuku.
He ara iti kei roto i te ngahere hei āhei i te tangata ki te ‘kauhoe ngahere’, ki te whakarongo ki te waiata a ngā manu, me te okioki i te ātaahua o te āpōpō i ngā marama o te raumati.
He ara nohoanga i te ngahere hei wāhi okioki, hei whakarongo ki ngā manu e waiata ana, me te kimi mātao i te wera o te raumati.
The Forest
Tall kahikatea, pūriri, and kohekohe, with an understory of matipo, māhoe, and porokaiwhiri, give us a glimpse of the original korowai of this whenua. Kukupa (woodpigeon), tūī, and pīwakawaka (fantails) make their homes here.
This zone recognises and regenerates the original ecosystems of cultural significance to Mana Whenua.
Kahili ginger and other introduced species threaten this forest area, but we are restoring the forest’s capacity to regenerate itself as we eradicate pests. We have planted many rongoā rākau (medicinal native trees) to extend the cloak of Papatūānuku.
A small walkway through the ngahere (forest) allows people to ‘forest bathe’, listen to birdsong, and enjoy the shade during the summer months.