Follow the River

E NOHO ANA KI TE KOKO KI ŌHIWA

WHAKARONGO RUA AKU TARINGA

KI TE TAI O TUA O KANEWA

E AKI ANA MAI KI UTA RA

KI TE WHĀNAU A TAIRONGO

KO TAUWHARE TE KOPU O TE URUROA

KO TE KAI RARI, NOA MAI TE RAWEKETIA

A TE RINGARINGA

AS I SIT ON THE BEACH AT ŌHIWA

I LISTEN TO THE WAVES BEATING OVER THE

SANDBAR AT KANEWA

AGAINST THE FORESHORE

THE HOME OF MY ANCESTOR TAIRONGO

MY MIND WANDERS TO TAUWHARE

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE HAMMERHEAD SHARK

AND TO THE FOODBASKET, REVERED BY MANY HANDS.

THIS ANCIENT WHAKATAUKI, HANDED DOWN FOR MANY GENERATIONS, DEMONSTRATES THE ENDURING RELATIONSHIPS OF TANGATA WHENUA WITH OHIWA HARBOUR AND ITS NATURAL RESOURCES.