E te whānau whānui takatāpui, nau mai, tautī mai ki Te Pā Kahukura!

Takatāpui and their whānau* are invited to join Kahukura Pounamu, Kahukura Rongoā, and Mana Tipua for a kaupapa Māori pride event.
We will gather at Te Ngahere o Kāputahi (The Rongoā forest at Kāputahi - 567 Marshlands Road), where we will share a kaitahi (picnic) and whakawhanaungatanga (getting to know each other). A rongoā hīkoi (walk to see medicinal plants), kōrero (talk), raranga with Rehutai (weaving workshop) and Ruri Rongoa with Hinemoana (healing poetry) are all part of the afternoon's offerings. It will be loosely scheduled, pick your own adventure style; you don't have to attend or give attention to everything. We invite you to bring some kai (food) to share if you can. Please don't worry if you can't, there will be kai available.

Things to know:

*Takatāpui and whānau means people who are Māori and LGBTQIA+, and their families. We use whānau in the Te Ao Māori sense, and acknowledge chosen whānau of all ages and backgrounds
Come as you are - you do not need to know Te Reo Māori, or the details of your whakapapa - if you're takatāpui, you're takatāpui.
This event is being held at a public reserve; whilst the reserve is not visited often we may not have exclusive use of the space
If the weather is bad, we will cancel this event
Access to the site - we suggest you carpool. The nearest bus stop is 54475 Prestons Te Korari Street, which is a 1.3km walk away from Te Ngahere o Kāputahi. If you are struggling with transport please send us a message and we may be able to assist with finding you a carpool.
Parking: There is a gravel carpark at the entry point to the reserve. Alternatively, there is an unsealed drive down to the gathering point in the reserve, where you can park on the grass if the weather has been dry.
We will bring some seating, however, we encourage you to bring a picnic blanket or picnic chairs. There are some picnic tables available on site.
While there are some tracks which are sealed on site, the majority of the site is grass, and unsealed, with uneven surfaces. Please contact kiaora@manatipua.org if you would like further information on accessibility.
We will have portaloos for this event - the nearest flushing accessible toilet is a 5 minute drive away at the BP on Marshlands Road.