Auniquepieceofhistoryfounda stone’sthrowawayfromTePukeis believedtopredatethefoundingof thetownship.TaurangaCityCouncil
Māoriculturalheritagemanager DeanFlavellpartofawaka,possibly datingbacktothe16thcentury,was pulledfromtheWaiariStreamover
theholidays.“Thisisatruetaonga. It’sagiftfromtheoldpeople,”said Flavell. Hebelievedthatwakamostlikely
belongedtoeithertheTawakeptioor theMakahaemaraeandhadfloated awayandgotstuckbeneaththewater. Readmoreonpage4.
January5couldwellturnouttohave beenaredletterdayforTePuke.
Thatwastheday32passengersfrom thecruiseshipSevenSeasExplorerwere droppedoffinCommerceLanetoexplore thetown.
ShopsnormallyclosedonaSundaywere open,coincidentallytherewasaMakers’ MarketatBlackbirdrecords,Constables Gallerywasopenedespeciallyforthevisit andRodPearcesetuphisworkbench outsideTePukeJewellers.
Allattractedvisitors.
TomandBarbarafromNewJersey startedtheirwalkaroundwithavisitto thehomeofTePukeSocietyofArtists, C Constables Gallery,rright next to the drop off point
TePukeNewscaughtupwiththemafter theyhadhadawalkaroundthetown.
Internationalviews
Barbarasaidshelikedthe“quirkylittle stores”andtheylovedtherecordstore (BlackbirdRecords)andtheMakers’ Market.
Shesaidshefounditalittleconfusing tryingtocrosstheroad,notbecauseof vehiclesbeingontheoppositesideof theroadtoher“normal”,butbecause sheexpectedtosee“crosswalks”atthe roundabouts.
DougandKristafromOrangeCounty, SouthernCalifornia,saidTePuke remindedthemofasmalltowncloseto t their home
Cruisingthekiwifruit t capital Californiawhichisonesolidcity,although weliveinthehills,”saidDoug. Theywereinterestedinthekiwifruit industryandfarmingandwantedtoknow ifkiwifruitcouldbeeaten,skinandall.
NewZealandviews
anythinglikethat,butIthinkitwasreally cool,theattitudeofthepeople,theywere allhappyandfriendlyandonholiday whichreallynicetointeractwith.”
“But this is very differenttoSouthern
AllSortzownerSherryBucksaiditwas an“absolutelyfabulousidea”tohavecruise shipexcursionsstopinTePuke.
“I’vemadeafewsales–theinterestis certainlythereandthisissomethingto buildon.”
Shesaideverythingwasquiterelaxedfor thevisitors.
“It’sapositiveandthat’ssomethingwe haven’thadforagoodfewyears.”
Cruiseshippassengersstoppedtowatch Rod,whoownsTePukeJewellers,binding pounamufornecklacesandchattohim. Rodsaidhethoughttheinitiativewas reallypositive.
“Ithinkitwentalright.Thefirstone’s alwaysabitofashakedownandthere’s roomforimprovementbutitwasvery positive.
“I’vegottoupmygamealittlebit becauseit’sthefirsttimeI’vedone
Hehopedtheinitiativewillgrow. “We’vegottoputoutbestfootforward andencourageit.”
TePukevisits TheexcursionwasoneofKiwifruit CountryTours’MaoriCulturalToursand priortotheirtimeinTePuke,passengers visitedalsoTūhourangiMaraejusteastof Waitangi.
KiwifruitCountryTourshosts thousandsofcruiseshippassengerseach seasononkiwifruit-themedexcursions thatalsotakeinMāoricultural experiencesandatemporaryretail precinctsetupforthevisitsinPaengaroa CommunityHall.
WhenthevisitstoTePukewere announced,KiwifruitCountryTours ownerGraemeCrossmansaidithasbeen alongheldambitiontoincludestopsin thetownonsometours.
Thenextcruiseshippassengervisitwill beonJanuary30.
Tom and Barbara from New Jersey in Constables Gallery.
Photos: Stuart Whitaker
Localsprinter’sbbigaspiiratiions TePukepara-athleteJaxon Woolley’ssprintingcouldbe takinghimplaces.
Inmid-December,the18-year-old wontheparaseniorboys100m, 200m,400mandlongjumptitles representingPāpāmoaCollegeatthe NewZealandSecondarySchools ChampionshipsinTimaru.
Hebrokethesecondaryschools recordinthe400mandlongjump andwasnamedpara-athleteofthe meet.
Healsoholdstheunder-17,18,19, 20andseniornational100mrecords forhispara-athleticsclassification (T38),plustheunder-17,18and19 andseniorrecordsforthe200m.
T38isadisabilitysport classificationforpeoplewithcerebral palsyandincludespeoplewhohave co-ordinationimpairments.
ShortlybeforeChristmasatthe DaikinNightof5smeetingin Auckland,heloweredhisown100m seniornationalrecordto12.17s.
Biggoals
Woolleyhasseveralsummermeetsin Whanganui,HastingsandAuckland andthenationalsinDunedinthatwill givehimtheopportunitytodipunder the12smark.
“He’sdone11.97s,butthatwas windassistedsohereallywantstoget theofficialrecorddownunder12s thisseason,”saidmumTashBowden.
Butthespeedsteralsohasbigger goals.
HewasapossibilityfortheNew
ZealandParalympicsteamforParis, butultimatelydidn’tmakethecut; however,hehopestobeatnext year’sCommonwealthGamesin Glasgow,andcompetingatthe2028 LosAngelesParalympicsisareal possibility.
“Hewaslong-listedforthe Paralympicslastyear,butdidn’tquite makethecut,buthewentthrough theprocess,whichwascool,sohe’s definitelyaimingforthenextone.”
Itisunclearwhateventsarelocked inforGlasgow,“buthopefullyitwill beinthe100[m]andlongjump”.
“Andtherehasbeentalkthatthere mightbeajuniorworldparachamps thisyear,”saidBowden.
“There’snotbeenonesince2019. Wehaven’theardanymoreabout that,buthewoulddefinitelybein medalcontentioniftheydoactually goaheadwiththat.”
Woolleycompetedatthelasttwo OceaniaChampionships,inMackay, Australia,in2022,andSuva,Fiji,last yearwhenhesetthenationalT38 openmen’slongjumprecord.
Multiplediagnoses Bornwithpolymicrogyria, Woolleyhascerebralpalsy,ADHD, autismspectrumdisorder,WorsterDroughtsyndrome(cerebralpalsy ofhismouthandthroatmuscles) andepilepsy.Lastyeardystonia, causedbythepolymicrogyria,was diagnosed.
Hetrainssixtimesaweek,threeon thetrackandthreeinthegym,under coachKerryHill.
Whileinnitiallyhewasn’tkeenon competinnginthelongjump,saying hedidn’tlikethefeelofthesand onhisfeeet,henowenjoyedit,but saiditwaasachallengetogethis technique e right.
Healsohas contractures (a fixed tightening g of muscles) in both arms, morenotiiceable in his left arm, thatmakeesit difficult to balance, especiallyin the blocks before a race
Woolley y said he liked the fun ofcompetting, but Bowden had a slightlydiifferent perspective
“Onrace e day he wakes up with his gameface e on and he’s focused all day andhejusstloves that We see him go outontothe track and he’s just pure focus.Hedoesn’t get nervous ”
Woolley y said he liked to make othersnerrvous
Whereit began AsWoollley grew up he was part ofanathlletics club at Riverhead, playedrugby, competed in BMX andhadddone a few park ruins
“Wewerre doing what we could to keephimas fit as possible because thathashhelped a lot with his disabilitiees.”
Buthehhadn’t really done any formalathhletics until he competed attheHaalberg Games in 2018
“Therewwas an older athlete there [KeeganPPitcher] who had done quitewelll;he saw Woolley run andwentback and told his coach [HamishMeacheam] about him and coachkinndof headhunted Woolley tocomeaand train with him,” said Bowden.
Afterthe e family moved to Pāpāmoafour years ago, he began trainingwwith Tauranga Athletics Thefamilly moved to Te Puke, where Bowdenhhas her business, Boutique Physio,laast year.
Woolley y would like to inspire other para-athleetes, especially in the Bay ofPlenty,and has started looking at thepossibbility of coaching
Besideshhis collection of records andmedaals, Woolley last year won theTaurannga Athletics Club’s male jumper,mmale sprinter and best paraathletetroophies and was awarded theAspiriing Youth Award at the Healthvision Festival of Disability SportAwaards
Stuart Whitaker
Te Puke para-athlete Jaxon Woolley in his New Zealand uniform.
HistoricalwakarelicfoundnearTePuke Alargepartofawaka, possiblydatingbackto the16thcentury,hasbeen foundbyamanswimming intheWaiariStreamat TePuke.
“We’vealwaysknownthat wakawereinthatarea,”Māori culturalheritagemanagerat TaurangaCityCouncil,Dean Flavell,saidasheadmiredthe waka,pulledfromthebanksof theWaiarilastweek.
“Iestimatethatitisfrom around1500sto1600s,”he said.
Flavellbelievesthehistoric wakaismadeofeitherrimuor kahikatia,“butmygutfeelingis it’srimu”.
Thepieceisabout 1.5m-metreslong,andthe wakacouldhavebeenanywhere fromfivetosixmetres5to6m, Flavellsaid.
RobertMiles-Kingstonfrom TePukediscoveredthewaka whileswimminginWaiariwith histamariki(children)and contactedFlavelltodiscussit.
Notrubbish
“IjustsaidtoRobert,‘you know,thankgoodnessitwas youwhofounditbecause somepeoplewouldthinkitis justapieceofwoodandletit driftthrough’.”
Afterhisconversationwith Miles-Kingston,Flavellhad akarakiaattheWaiaribefore removingthecenturies-old waka.
“Thelashholesaregenerally oblong;iftheywerecircular, thenIwouldhavetakenthe datetotheearlyormid-1800s,” Flavellsaid.
Apieceofhistory
Theuniquepieceofhistory predatesthefoundingofthe townshipofTePuke,astone’s throwawayfromwherethe wakawasfound,Flavellsaid.
“Itwasayet-to-betownship, andthenthefirstancestorsof theEuropeanpeople,whowere mainlyIrish,camehere.”
Schoonerswouldtravelup theKaitunaRivertoCanaan’s Landing,whereFlavell’s ancestorswouldthenpaddle thesettlersdowntowhatwould becomethemainTePukeroad.
Theimportanceofsucha taongaisnotlostonFlavell,and itcanshinenewlightonlongforgottenhistories.
“Ithastheabilitytotelllocal history,yeah,atdifferentlevels.”
“Thisisatruetaonga.It’sagift fromtheoldpeople.”
Hebelievedthatwakamost likelybelongedtoeitherthe TawakeptioortheMakahae maraeandhadfloatedawayand gotstuckbeneaththewater.
Thepieceofwakaisremarkably well-preservedforitsage,and Flavellthinksthewaterhelped preservethewood.
“Theairandsuncrackthe wood.Sobeingencapsulatedin thesideofthebankunderwater preservedit.”
Floodingandearthworksalong theWaiarilikelyshookthewaka
loosefromitsslumber,allowing Miles-Kingstontopullitontothe riverbank,Flavellbelieves.
Thepieceofwakawasfoundon Flavell’sancestralland,nearthe WaiariStream. Flavellnowhastoapplyto HeritageNewZealandandobtain az-numberthatwillallowthe wakatobetrackedandprotected.
SeekaAongatete 2380StateHighway2,Katikati 075520916,aongatetejobs@seeka.co.nz
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“Sointhefuture,thisobject can’tleavethecountryorhastobe connectedwiththelocalpeople.”
Thenextstepwillbetopreserve thepieceofwakabeforeitgoes ondisplaysoitcanremaininits excellentcondition,Flavellsaid.
“Itwillbeuptothemaraewhat willhappentoitafterthat.”
TomEley
Th i f k i k bl l f
DeanFlavelllooksover thewakapiecefoundin theWaiariStream.
Sketchesby DeanFlavell highlighting the heightand widthofthewaka
Summertimefun inTePuke TePuke’s2025Summerin theParkisupandrunning. Thefirstofsixactivitydays tookplaceinperfectconditions atJubileeParkonTuesdaywhere therewasachancetohaveago atdiscgolf,findoutaboutseeds, theirusesandhowtogrowthem withtheKaiResilienceProject, oversizedJengaandConnect Fourandcolouringin,plusa chancetofindoutaboutthe
servicesavailableatTePuke Library.Therearefourmore SummerintheParksessionsonTuesdayandThursdaynext andthefollowingweekwith activitiesincludingAmerican football,football,circusskills, rugbywiththeBaySteamers Academy,cricketandkabaddi. CheckouttheSummerinthe Park2025Facebookpagefor moredetails.Thesessionsstart at10am.
StuartWhitaker
Mya Rain, four, hasagame of ConnectFour
CJ Palmer,seven, hassomechillout timecolouring in.
Photos: StuartWhitaker
Ivy Nathan, 11, had immediatesuccess at herfirstgoatdiscgolf.
Ida Crisp, four, hassuccess on the hoopla.
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