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The ethereal beauty of<br />
Te Repo<br />
Õrãriki<br />
wetland<br />
Te Repo Ōrāriki wetland feels other-worldly. Even the<br />
drive there is ethereal – heading towards the sea and<br />
with Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere near on one side,<br />
landmarks drop away until there is only sky.<br />
The wetland’s native plantings create a beautiful green<br />
space – yet at the same time, this garden is poised on<br />
the edge of the Southern Ocean, with the sea’s sounds<br />
and smells everpresent.<br />
Te Repo Ōrāriki wetland is also a taonga. The lower<br />
reaches of Te Waikēkēwai/Waikēkēwai Stream are within<br />
the grounds of Te Pā o Moki Marae, home to Te Ngāi<br />
Te Ruahikihiki ki Taumutu (Te Taumutu Rūnanga) for over<br />
600 years. As the surrounding landscape increasingly<br />
became farmland, natural wetlands disappeared and<br />
the water course degraded. The Rūnanga now leads<br />
the project to restore the lower to mid reaches of the<br />
catchment.<br />
The wetland area is beside the marae. Enter either from<br />
the beach (near the southern end of Kaitōrete Spit) or<br />
through a gate at the picturesque Hone Wetere (John<br />
Wesley) Church (126 Pohau Rd, Taumutu, Southbridge).<br />
Entering from the marae/church end, one of the first<br />
things you’ll see is the next area of the wetlands to be<br />
restored. I visited after days of rain, and natural pooling<br />
was very evident.<br />
Following on down the walkway, successions of native<br />
plantings since 2015, supported by Te Ara Kākāriki<br />
Greenway Canterbury Trust and volunteers, have<br />
created a beautiful mix of mature and recent plants.<br />
Waitaha School created the attractive and informative<br />
signage.<br />
You’re soon walking along the stream, both sides<br />
naturally restored. In one of those other-worldly<br />
moments, impact from the 2021 Canterbury flooding<br />
is visible – the sea burst over the narrow sandy spit<br />
into the gardens, leaving a scattering of beach detritus<br />
among the land-based plants.<br />
The whole area is not huge – you could stride around<br />
it in half an hour, but you will want to linger far longer.<br />
Simple landscaping elements shape the view, creating<br />
photo-worthy and picnic-worthy scenes.<br />
This wetland restoration is coordinated through<br />
the Whakaora Te Waikēkēwai Project, funded by<br />
Environment Canterbury and the Ministry for the<br />
Environment, led by Te Taumutu Rūnanga.<br />
The wetland is a place not just of beauty but of longheld<br />
commitment, passion and cultural history. Soak up the<br />
energy of this special place.<br />
While the wetland is on private land, visitors are<br />
welcome – contact Te Taumutu Rūnanga office for<br />
access, on 03 371 2660 or taumutu@ngaitahu.iwi.nz<br />
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