Published: 6 August, 2025
Waiora Restoration Projects
Please note that the Whānau Planting Day, scheduled for 31 August, has now been postponed until Saturday, 6 September 2025.
The Waiora Project is about bringing ora - life and vitality - back to two significant puna and repo in our rohe: Waitoari (Bluehole) in Koromiko and Waipuna in Waitohi Picton.
This kaupapa is about more than planting. It is about:
- Restoring rare, life-giving ecosystems
- Revitalising mātauranga Māori and tikanga-based practices
- Reconnecting with the whakapapa of our whenua and wai
- Enabling intergenerational learning for our tamariki and whānau
- Strengthening our role as kaitiaki of these taonga
Guided by our values of kaitiakitanga, whakapapa, and intergenerational care, this mahi restores not only the whenua and wai but also our responsibility as iwi to lead, protect, and pass on knowledge.
Waiotari (Bluehole) in Koromiko
The waipuna and repo (wetland) in Koromiko is a significant area for Te Ātiawa, once rich in harakeke for weaving, paru for dye, and kai such as tuna, kākahi, and inanga. This area was intimately known by our tūpuna and formed part of a thriving mahinga kai that sustained generations of whānau from Waitohi, Ngākuta, and Waikawa Pā. Today, we are restoring its ora so that it can once again nurture biodiversity, whānau, and future generations.
As part of the Whale Trail, Bluehole also offers opportunities for cultural interpretation and education, sharing our kōrero with manuhiri.
Whānau Planting Day:
Date | Saturday, 6 September 2025
Time | 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location | Waitoari (Bluehole), Speeds Road, Koromiko
Waipuna in Waitohi Picton
After years of advocating for the ecological and cultural value of these small but precious sources of fresh water at the end of Rohe Drive/Rānui Street, we are proud to say that we have been able to protect this one from urban development. Along with whanau support, we have fiercely objected to plans to remove it, fill it in, and took offence to references to the awa being just ‘a stormwater drain’. Our hīnaki full of tuna proved them wrong!
Achievements so far:
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We have secured the repo within the property development by ensuring the reserve is categorised as a cultural reserve, with Te Ātiawa having a vested interest.
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Kaitiaki rōpū from Queen Charlotte College are in the process of working alongside Dawn Chorus to set up an ongoing pest control management plan.
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Wetland ecologists from Tasman District Council are coming over to work with our Kaihautu team at Marlborough District Council to gather drone footage so that we have a digital catalogue of the restoration as the whenua heals.
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Funding received for planting, weed control, cultural monitoring, and hītori documentation.
- We have applied to LINZ to get the awa formally recognised as an awa (not a stormwater drain!).
Whānau Planting Day
Date | Sunday 14 September 2025
Time | 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location | Waipuna, Rohe Drive, Waikawa
This is whānau mahi - join us, plant alongside us, and be part of the journey.
Whakahaumanu te Waitoari, kia ora te puna manawa whenua.
Restore the translucent waters of te Waitoari, and the deep spring will be revived.