19 October 2021

Hidden in the Hokianga

Kei Te Taiao. Back Roads.

writer: Royna Ngahuia Fifield-Hakaraia (Ngāti Rangatahi, Ngāti Whititama)

photographer: Michelle Marshall

Rawene and Kohukohu are two villages connected by the waters of the Hokianga Harbour inlet and the generations and generations of families who have come and gone. Of mana whenua whakapapa, Tina Quitta wasn’t born on this soil, but her heart has always belonged here and her ancestors’ connection to the land and its people is what has always brought her back home. For this Back Roads, Tina takes us on a personal tour of her hau kāinga.

Two hours beyond Whangarei, up State Highway 12, you’ll find Rawene Road. It’s a little past Te Piiti Marae, where Ōmanaia River runs alongside the metal road. The bush here is wild and thick, coating the rolling hills. Ti kouka, toetoe and harakeke dot the unkempt fields and paddocks and flourish near the low-lying streams and ditches. There’s a sharp rise in the land just before you reach the township. At the peak, the Hokianga Harbour appears, a jewel of blue amongst the shadows and terrain of the land. “When I see the harbour, I know I’m home,” says Tina. “It’s always a ‘take-a-breath’ moment. I can’t help it. Whenever I see it, I just think, ‘Oh my, we are so blessed.’ We love that our towns are unspoilt and still have that untouched feel about them.”

Now fifty five years old, Tina first came to Rawene as a little girl. Born in Takapuna, Auckland, she would drive up with her parents and siblings for the special trip. “We used to come to Rawene all the time when I was little. We would stay with my nana and pop and take them out to visit our aunties and uncles that were living here at the time. It was really exciting to come to Rawene back in the day. There were lots of shops and there was a big wharf where we would play and watch the ferry.”

Hokianga is one of the oldest Māori settlements in Aotearoa. Te Tai Tokerau tradition talks about the legendary Polynesian chief and navigator, Kupe, who travelled over the oceans from Hawaiiki and settled in Hokianga around 925 AD. The full name for the area is 'Te Hokianga-nui-a-Kupe', which means 'The place of Kupe's great return'. Rawene and Kohukohu were timber milling towns in the early eighteenth century, but today, they are known for their slower pace of life and tight-knit communities. Nearly everyone knows everyone and the blueness of the estuary is always in the background. Mangroves line its edges and the waters from the Tasman Sea continuously flow inward. "My grandfather was born in Waimā and his grandmother was the chieftainess, Maraea Kuri o te Wao. Her father was the Te Mahurehure chief, Moka. My grandfather drove one of the cream launchers on the harbour. He would take the boat from Taheke out to Rawene, and then over to Motukaka, picking up the cream from the farmers as he went and then dropping it off at the cream factory."

Rawene is a village built on the side of a small mountain. The community-owned hospital, with its pristine lawns and large white buildings lies opposite the humble war memorial. Houses peek out of the trees and the paper roads - roads drawn on maps without regard for the inclining contours of the landscape - curve this way and that. Tall oak trees reach overhead, and eventually, the rugged countryside gives way to a straight, but narrow main street lined with stores and historic buildings fresh with shiny, new paint.

It was in 1999, that Tina and her young family - her husband Christopher and their four children - were pulled back to Rawene. She wanted her children to go to Rawene School with their cousins and have time to be with their grandparents. Today, they live in the 1915 villa that her mother purchased back in the eighties because Birch Street, named after her great great grandfather, Thomas Birch, runs right past. "My favourite part of living here is the wairua connection. Rawene is our ūkaipō, our kāinga. It's our slice of heaven really. We love it. There's just so many special places and people here. I love the water and how its smells of the sea."

The ferry, Kohu Ra Tuarua, glides between Rawene and Kohukohu every hour. As the boat moves gently over the water, vistas up and down the harbour appear from behind the hills. On the northern side of the Hokianga Harbour, Kohukohu lies another five minutes down the line, at the foot of a steep mountain. Tall trees line Kohukohu Road and the calm water of the inlet peeks through the branches and leaves. There are lines of pretty bungalows and cottages, their weather boards painted in soft whites, yellows and pinks. It has an instant old-time feel.

"Kohukohu is a beautiful place and has lots of artisans and earthy types," says Tina. "The people are varied and well-travelled. It's just a really close-knit community. There's lots of different kinds of people but everyone's really respectful of each other. It's the sort of place where you can just go and be. The communities here at Rawene and Kohukohu are always interconnected, through past ties and whakapapa and new friendships. I think we're really lucky we have such amazing people on both sides of the harbour."

Of Te Mahurehure, Te Uri Kaiwhare, Ngāti Pakau and Ngāi Tupoto descent, Tina has many connections to this area. Her father was a returned serviceman and respected elder, undertaking most of the blessings, births and burials for the community. He blessed the local mangrove boardwalk, Ara Mānawa o Rawene, when it opened. A large pūriri tree once stood there, but was cut down to make way for the mill. Today, Tina's children and grandchildren have been raised here. Her son is the chair of the school's Board of Trustees and her husband is a local police officer. Tina knows this is where she will spend the rest of her years. There's so much here that she loves. The people. The landscape. And the Hokianga Harbour that always reminds her she is home.

Glossary. Harakeke, flax. Hau kāinga, true home. Kāinga, home. Tī kouka, cabbage tree. Toetoe, native New Zealand plant with feathery plumes. Mana whenua, historical connection by an iwi or hapū to a particular area. Ūkaipō, source of sustenance. Wairua, the spirit or the soul. Whakapapa, ancestry.

EAT

Boatshed Café, Rawene
Iconic and locally-owned, the Boatshed Café is famous for their delicious Kūtai Pie and Ōra King Salmon PokéBowl. The covered veranda hangs out over the blue harbour water, catching all of the summer sun, and the small fireplace inside creates a snug feel during the cooler weather. "It is really wonderful that the Boatshed is owned by a local family," says Tina. "When we go there we know we are supporting whānau."

8 Clendon Esplanade, @boatshedcaferawene

Hokianga Takeaways, Rawene
Known for their speciality: whole flounder or mullet lightly tempura battered, there's plenty to indulge in here, including their Blue Moo Steak Fillet Burger and raw fish with coconut cream. This unique fish'n'chip shop may just make you feel right at home with its dine-in tables and soft jazz playing in the background. "It's really popular," says Tina. "Most of the staff are mana whenua and one of the workers, Murray, he painted the beautiful tui mural across from the ferry."

2 Parnell Street, @Hokianga-Takeaways

Koke Café and Pub, Kohukohu
With its stunning views of the harbour and Cuban-esqe art painted on the exterior, this eatery makes for an easy stop on your way up north. Run by husband and wife team, Trish and Russell Brit, they serve coffee on-the-go as well as delicious kiwi fare. "My friends and whānau love the kai at Koke," says Tina. "We often have staff dos there or we call in when we are heading up to Kaitaia. They have really good roast meals."

1372 Kohukohu Road, @kokepubcafe

STAY

The Postmaster's Boutique Hotel, Rawene

An archway of vines greets you at the front entrance of this character-filled villa. In the centre of Rawene village, The Postmaster's Boutique Hotel offers a different way of life, where the untouched beauty of Hokianga is everywhere you look. "I actually knew the Postmaster's house way back when it was owned by the Post Office," says Tina. "We are really lucky that we have so many passionate people that have maintained and restored so many of our historic buildings. It gives our little town so much life."

3 Parnell Street, thepostmasterslodgings.co.nz

Historic Kohukohu Villa, Kohukohu

Originally built in the mid-1800s as an adjacent office to the kauri mill next door, the Historic Kohukohu Villa wahas been lovingly renovated by owners Delvene and Sean Morrissey. Located in the heart of Kohukohu village, it's only a minute's walk to local galleries and many of the other heritage buildings in the area. "Kohukohu is the sort of place you can just go and be," says Tina. "It's always had an artisan kind of vibe around it."

23 Beach Road, kohukohuvilla.com

OH! Studio, Rawene

With its motto 'Hokianga meets Milan', this design studio is owned and operated by Lise Strathdee, who worked as a fashion designer around the world for twenty five years. This creative space showcases a selection of handpicked wares including vibrant kete, hand-carved tōtara furniture and recycled glass light fixtures. "Lise is another world-famous person hiding in the Hokianga," says Tina. "She has some really beautiful and locally-made products, including her own designs."

2B Parnell Street, @lisestrathdee

No 1 Parnell Gallery, Rawene

This combined gallery, bookstore and café is a light-filled space for locals and visitors alike. Regularly showcasing artists and musicians from the area, No 1 Parnell is currently exhibiting Te Hauhake, a celebration of Matariki, the land and rejuvenation. "The building at 1 Parnell Street has always been a focal point for Rawene, even before the gallery," says Tina. "It's a hub of activity and our kaumatua go there to have a cuppa and watch the world go by."

1 Parnell Street, @No1Parnell

Village Arts Gallery, Kohukohu

Opened in 2005 by a small group of local artists, this volunteer-run gallery is renowned for its exciting mixed-media exhibitions such as Whenua-Land, which included flax installations and abstract black and white photography. This thriving creative space maintains the highest possible standards as a fine art gallery with all proceeds donated to the Kohukohu community. "They feature lots of our local artists," says Tina. "A whole group of us will go down to the gallery when it has a new exhibition."

1376 Kohukohu Road, villagearts.co.nz