Te Whau Pathway is a 15 km shared path connecting the Manukau and Waitematā Harbours. The pathway follows the traditional Māori taonga waka (portage). Some parts of the path are already finished but the majority of the pathway is yet to be built. As part of their Social and Human Capital deliverables, HOOPLA was commissioned by Te Whau Pathway to develop a sustainable programme of voyages for rangatahi to experience the Te Whau awa as part of their school life. 

HOOPLA facilitated a series of hui (meetings) and co-design wānanga (workshops) to connect people and gather knowledge from a wide group of stakeholders including community developers, local youth, sports club members, school teachers, educators, not for profit agencies, arts brokers, environmental groups, Auckland council representatives and many others.

Information gained through this work was used to inform two different pilot voyages on Te Whau awa. For Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School we held a voyage with Auckland Sea Kayaks, and with Kelston Intermediate School we developed a voyage with Waitakere Outrigger Canoe Club, the only waka ama club in west Auckland. HOOPLA also generated curriculum resources and activities for each voyage. One school focussed on mapping Te Whau awa in order to learn and understand its Māori place names and discover its estuarine ecology, while the other school’s focus was on the cultural knowledge that can be experienced through paddling together in waka ama. 

Following the pilot voyages HOOPLA undertook analysis of the many aspects that had come to light, such as  number of rangatahi and intermediate schools in the Whau area, potential launch locations, tidal constraints, connections to the New Zealand Curriculum, costs, possible funding opportunities and delivery models. This feasibility report is intended to guide the future of voyages on Te Whau awa for all our rangatahi. If you would like to access the report please get in touch! 

Special thanks to the students and staff at Blockhouse Bay Intermediate and Kelston Intermediate, Tahuri Tumoana & Waitakere Outrigger Canoe Club, Nic Mead & Auckland Sea Kayaks, Tonya Wyatt, Frazer Dale and Liz Peterson from the Sustainable Schools team, rangatahi from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae and all those who so generously joined our hui.