The Tākitimu waka has been brought back to life on Tauranga Moana this month, after being refurbished and filled with newfound glory thanks to its new guardian.

Launching from Te Puna Beach at 6am on March 17, 44 mighty kaihoe paddled the Tākitimu waka to Sulphur Point, with the wind and tide on their side.

'My main objective was to bless the canoe and just get it back out on the water and into the eye of the people – so everybody can see the waka in its beauty, which is when he's on the water doing his thing,” says Tamahau Tangitu.

Guardianship

The guardianship of the Tākitimu waka passed to Tamahau in 2019, after former guardian Chris Tangitu also known as Jimmy – Tamahau's uncle – passed away. 'I remember spending a lot of time with him [my uncle] and I asked him: ‘If you die, would you like to go in the waka?' and he said: ‘That would be an honour to go for one last ride'. That was one of his dreams so when he passed away I made that happen, and from there I took over the mantle of the guardianship of Tākitimu.”

As new guardian of Tākitimu, Tamahau wanted to see him return to a more traditional state. 'When they first built the canoe back in 1990 they actually screwed all the carvings to the side of the canoe with nails and screws.”

While traditional voyaging in 2011, Tamahau says: 'I learnt the art-form of lashing canoes together and binding together with rope”. Tamahau began refurbishing the waka with these traditional techniques last April. 'We had a blessing to purify the waka for this purpose of being able to work on it because it had been to so many occasions and collected so much mana, so much prestige over its time.”

Special feeling

With refurbishments complete and support from Ngāti Ranginui iwi, Tākitimu took to the water once again this month. Schools including Greenpark gathered at Sulphur Point to welcome the waka, performing haka and waiata. From Sulphur Point, the kaihoe returned the two tonne 26m long waka back to his shelter in Te Puna. Tamahau says the day was amazing, with a special feeling being out on the water. 'That's when he's magical to us...when he's most alive.”