Our narrative begins with the metaphor of a manu, a bird that soars through space and time, traversing the writers’ tribal landscapes of Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato, finally arriving to its final destination of Rotorua.

Having a tribal affiliation to Te Arawa waka (captained by Tamatekapua) - and whose tohunga Ngātoroirangi plays a fundamental role in the design narrative of Te Wai Ariki.

As our manu navigates these sacred tribal landscapes, it gazes upon the many maunga, awa, moana, pā, kāinga, ngāhere and many other taonga that define us as descendants of Aotearoa. Our ancestors have lived upon these landscapes for many hundreds of years, from the time our own tribal waka journeyed to Aotearoa from Hawaiki, Tainui, Mataatua and Ngātokimatawhaorua, to the first Māori encounters with Pākeha explorers, the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, to this present moment in time, where Māori continue to stand resiliently as tangata whenua of Aotearoa.

Our manu finally lands on the lakefront of Te Rotoruanui-a-Kahumatamomoe, in this present space and time, the city of Rotorua, at Ōhinemutu – the tribal landscape of Ngāti Whakaue, the kaitiaki of the newly built Wai Ariki whare which is the kaupapa for our visit.

E kō, kōia e tū mai nei!

E kō, kōia e ara ake nei! 

Ka ū ki Matānuku! Ka ū ki Matārangi! 

Ka ū ki ngā maunga whakahī o Kupe! 

Ko Pūhanga Tohorā ka whai ki Te Ramaroa! 

Ko Te Ramaroa ka heke ki Whiria! 

Ko te paiaka o te riri, ko te kawa o Rāhiri! 

Whiria, ka huri ki Panguru ki Papata, te rākau e tū papata ki Te Tai Hauāuru! 

Panguru, Papata ko Maunga Taniwha Whakarongorua! Maungataniwha ka heke ki Tokerau! 

Tokerau ko Rākaumangamanga! 

Rākaumangamanga ko Manaia! 

Ko Manaia ko Tūtāmoe! 

Tūtāmoe ko Maunganui! 

Ka hārō i te kāhu, ko Te Kāhu Pōkere, ko Te Mānukanuka o Hoturoa! 

Kei runga, kei te tonga ko Maunga Kiekie e tū noa, ko Maunga Whau te taha whakararo! 

Ko Te Wai o Huakaiwaka! Nga Wai o Rakataura! 

Ka rarapa mai ō kanohi ki Te Pūkaki Tapu o Poutūkeka ki Te Puketāpapa ā Hape!  

Ko Maunga Taketake! Ko Pukeiti! Kei Te Kei o Tainui! Hoki whakamuri mai kei reira a Taramainuku, ko Kaiwhare, rāua ngātahi noho ai!  

Ka titiro ki Tītīrangi, te taha moana hau raro o te wahapū o Te Mānukanuka o Hoturoa! 

Ka pupū ki Ōrakei ki te pūwaha o Tāmaki Makaurau ki te whanga i Kawakawa! 

Ka rere tōtika ki Pirongia ki konei ka whai te tau hiwi ki Ōparau! 

Ka whiti te moana o Kāwhia ki Te Taharoa! Waikato taniwha rau, he piko, he taniwha!

Ka aroarohaki i o te rae ki Pekerau kai! 

Te Kureitanga o te ihu o Tama te Kapua!  

Ka mau te ārohirohi te titiro ki te whenua kura ki Poporohuamea ki Mataoneone! 

Ka tūtei atu ki te awa kari o Ngātoroirangi: He tai timu, he tai pari e ngaoko ai i te hukahuka!  

He aha te kai mō roto? He patiki, he tamure, he pāhauariki!

He pipi kai oneone, ara rā, ko Papahikahawai! 

Kia tioro i te tawara o tō waha hei kai e! Rukutia te wai ki ngā taupunga o te waka o Te Arawa!  

Ko Tūterangiharuru! Ko Te Tokaparore Whakamaua ki te one pungapunga tau atu ai! 

Urupounamutia mai, he aha te kino i ahau i a Te Arawa! 

Ka riro rā hei kai atu mā te hatete o Mahuika,

Tawhai atu taku rere ki Tapati ki te whare kōrero o Ngāti Whakaue! 

E tū whakarehu i te hau hewahewa o Rongomaraeroa e!  

Nā hea mai koia, te ara ki Whakapoukōrero, ki te puehu muramura i te rua āhuru!  

Mawhiti atu au ki Te Waiariki koropupū ana i te Rau-o-te-Huia ki Otairoa āku kura tapuwae! 

E kō, kōia e tū mai nei!

E kō, kōia e ara ake nei!