Ngākau Whakaute

Tērā te marae nui a Kiwa te kānapanapa nei i raro i a koe Waitā. Hīia mai rā ki runga te tini a Ikatere, rukuhia ki tai, kohia ki tātahi hei kai mā te tini o uta. Ka hiki mata te tapuwae a Tangaroa! Koia au nui, koia au roa, koia moana tuarangaranga koia moana i āio.
Waitā is associated with the ocean, and food sources within it.                                                                                   source: Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Waitī and Waitā are Matariki’s twins. Papatūānuku knew that they would be able to care for the smallest and fastest of creatures – because they know about being a team.
When we see these two stars in the sky, we are encouraged to join in and support each other.                                                                                                                                                                               source: Te Papa

Waitā surveys our vast oceans, Te Moana-nui-o-Kiwa and Te Tai-o-Rehua . The variety of life in these waters is so diverse that he finds he is still discovering different species of marine plants, whāngote, manu and ika  – even after all of this time. Biodiversity is essential to our world. Our actions need to support it, and even better still, enhance it. Waitā encourages us to respect our coasts and oceans, and treat their inhabitants like the taoka they really are.                                                                                                                                            source: Kiwi Conservation Club

E tū Waitī

E tū Waitā

Te tini a Tangaroa

Te mano a Hinemoana

Behold Waitī 

Behold Waitā 

The abundance of the ocean 

The plenty of the waterways

                                          source: Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

E kitea ai ngā taonga o te moana, me mākū koe. 

To find the treasures of the sea you must get wet!

source: Aroha: Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet - Hinemoa Elder