Te Kākahu Anō i a Papatūānuku
Ko tēnei wāhi te rohe whakaora i te whenua. E hia mano ngā tupu taketake kua whakatōngia ki konei, i tupu ake i ngā kākano i kohia ā-ringa i te ngahere, i whakatupungia kia ū ki ngā hau tonga mākūkū o te rohe nei – hei korowai mō Papatūānuku.
Nā ngā tamariki, ngā whānau, ngā roopu kura me te tini o te tangata i whai wāhi, i waiho tō rātou tapuwae ki te Ara Rongoā mā te whakatō rākau ki tēnei wāhi. Ka tupu ake ngā rākau, ka hoki mai ngā manu, ka toro mai anō hoki ngā momo taketake ki tēnei ngahere iti.
Ka noho ngā rākau hei whakaruruhau te ara ki te Pou Whakataa i te pito tonga o te Ara Rongoā. He wāhi whakatā tēnei i te wā raumati, e karapotia ana e ngā rākau māori me ngā rākau tauhou kua roa e tū ana. Ko te tirohanga ki te maunga me te moana he whakangā, he rongoā hoki mō te hinengaro i ngā taumahatanga o te oranga i te hōhipera.
Recloak the Land
This zone is our regeneration area; thousands of native plants, grown from locally hand-collected seeds from the ngahere and nurtured until ready to brave the harsh Southerly winds, have been planted here to cloak Papatūānuku. Children, whānau, groups from local kura, and numerous others have made their mark and become part of the Ara Rongoā by planting native trees in this zone.
As the trees grow and attract birdlife, a variety of native species add themselves to this small ‘pocket forest’. Rongoā (traditional medicines) are made from leaves harvested from this spray-free mini-forest. The trees shelter the path to the Pou Whakataa at the southern end of the Ara Rongoā.
This reflection space is cool in the summer months, surrounded by a mix of established exotic and native trees.
The view to the mountains and harbour offers welcome respite from the stresses of hospital life.