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Te Ahu Ahu Maunga

A sleeping volcanoe, Te Ahu Ahu stands guard to the north forever silent to its history of wars on the bay of plenty Island of Mokoia. The spoken peacemaker forever stepped in blood and breeding safeguarded the peaceful return of threads from stolen families through time weaving itself. North to south, east and west alike but always the journey of this cross, is home to Old Jacob.

Swan Lake
Panakatere

Panakatere, if the moral of the mahi is "there is only one road to true north" then what is the story beneath the words...

The Church of Waimate North, is a study of the 1970s family reunion photo at Te Ahu Ahu marae when the whole of our generation were still tamariki to our koroua mea kuia in the education of karakia.

The Church of Waimate North mea Te AhuAhu Marae
Te Kupu [Of the North]

Te Kupu O Hiri O Ripeka is about the seals of karakia she put over the handwritten whakapapa  in acknowledgement of blood before belief to trim the fat and uphold faith alone for their journeys into the future.

Pene Rakau describes Te Kaiako O Te Tai Tokerau who weaves the threads of her Poppa's cloaks.

Pene Rakau
Nanny Puti's Cloaks

Nanny Puti's portrait talks about her cloaks including the one from 'island beneath the island' swan song of the old church where she was married to Pop.

Nanny Caroline's portrait describes her dowry and the seals of karakia to her wairua that weaves back to Awahou and Mokoia through her arranged marriage to Pop, and with her family bringing gifts from all the bloodlines returning home from the north in peace.

Nanny Caroline

Te Tai Tokerau Peacemakers' Cloak

 

Omania, Taheke Road to Ohaewai and ending at Te Ahu Ahu Marae at the front of Waimate North

 

Taheke road Plum Trees Blackboy Peaches
The Old Waimate North house
The Old Waimate North

The Bay Windows was a beautiful room that was converted into our bedroom and the place where Papa and our sisters would stay when they came up North to see mum.

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We always looked forward to sneaking home to Awahou with family who visited and whenever we passed through Fitzgerald's Glade, we knew on the otherside was home all the way to Otouroha Road.

Old Bay Windows Waimate North
Fitzgerald's Glade ...The way home

Taheke Road

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A road that commences north from north of Kaikohe, winding its way and branching out to Matarawa, Terenga, Whirinaki, and further, our Taheke Road leads straight past family lands all the way back beyond Omania, Waima Valley to Opononi the bay of dolphins.

Taheke Road

Public and Private Sales Commissioned Works

Exhibited Works 

© 1982 Sylvia Vallender

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