275 Times. December 2016/ January 2017

EDITION #26 

DEC 2016/JAN 2017 

275 

Māngere’s 

times 

275 times 

Free! 

Our stories, our people, our Māngere 

Kōrero paki ō tatou, Tāngata ō tatou, Ngā Hau Māngere ō tatou 

Above: Māngere East Primary School’s Tongan Group entertains the crowd at the Māngere East Festival on Nov 19. (See more festival photos on p. 10.) 

Kia Manawaroa: Growing Resilience 

When she decides to 

do something, Moea 

Nimmo doesn’t let much 

stand in her way. 

In November, the young Māngere 

East resident graduated from 

the University of Auckland with 

a degree in medicine – fulfilling 

a goal she set herself when 

she was just 13 years old. 

Going to university was something 

neither of her parents got to do. 

“Dad was a truck driver. He didn’t 

finish school,” she says. “Mum was 

WHAT’S INSIDE: 

a stay-at-home mum... with seven 

kids... so they never qualified.” 

Moea remembers growing up 

in severe poverty – sometimes 

going without shoes or food. 

She also remembers the moment 

she decided to become a doctor. 

“Me, my mum and my older sister 

had been talking about history 

– wars, times when people had 

been dying and hurt – and I 

thought: I’d really like to be able 

to help other people,” she says. 

Continued on page 2 >> 

Determined young doctor: Moea Nimmo 

(above right), with Mei Paul, the creator of 

‘Manawaroa’, the community korowai that 

Moea wore to her graduation ceremony. 

P2: Consumer Christmas? P6: Ihumātao Kaitiaki Village P9: Maramataka

Continued from cover page >> 

Moea has always loved science, 

but medical school was tough. 

“It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve 

ever done in my life,” she says. “I 

had moments every month where 

I would think: I can’t do this.” 

When she realised that every student 

felt the same way, Moea learned to 

quiet her anxious thoughts. “Once 

you manage that anxiety, then 

you get over the hump. And then 

you think: I love this! This is what I 

want to do for the rest of my life.” 

Moea believes that her faith, selfconfidence, 

the support of the 

people around her – and plain 

hard work – have helped her to 

overcome the obstacles she’s faced. 

Her teachers and family have been a 

huge source of encouragement and 

inspiration. “Everyone in my family 

is very hard working,” Moea says. 

She attributes this strong work ethic 

to her dad. “My father would wake 

up at five o’clock in the morning 

every day – sometimes do seven 

days in a row, come back at five 

o’clock in the afternoon – and he’s 

done that consistently,” she says. 

“There’s no way of avoiding it.” 

Moea also gained support from 

other students in the University’s 

Maori and Pacific Admission 

Scheme (MAPAS). She encourages 

all students to take full advantage of 

these kinds of networks – not just 

Manawaroa: the design of the Māngere East 

community korowai represents its diverse 

community and symbolises the journey from 

‘not-knowing’ to ‘knowing’. 

to get help with the academic side 

of university life, but to connect with 

people from similar backgrounds; 

people who “have the same sense of 

humour or can really identify with 

where you’re from and your culture.” 

Above all, Moea’s desire to help 

others has given her the energy to 

keep working towards her goal. “I’m 

doing this for my family and for this 

community”, she says. No matter 

what you’re trying to achieve, “people 

give you a reason to do what you’re 

doing. If you’re an artist, you’re 

painting for people; if you’re a 

chef, you’re cooking for people.” 

Having qualified as a doctor, Moea 

is now heading out of Auckland to 

take up her first full-time hospital 

job. But she’ll be back. “I’ve lived here 

all my life and I feel a responsibility 

to see this community grow,” 

she says. “I want to see it really, 

really thrive, and I believe that it 

has the potential to do so. If we 

work hard together to make that 

happen, I feel like it can happen.” 

Manawaroa – Community Korowai 

Moea is the first person to wear 

‘Manawaroa’, the Māngere 

East community korowai, to a 

university graduation ceremony. 

Mei Paul created the korowai at the 

Māngere East Community Centre 

korowai class earlier this year. 

The feathers at the bottom of the 

korowai are dark, and gradually 

become lighter towards the top – 

symbolising the journey from ‘not 

knowing’ to ‘knowing’, as we learn 

and increase our knowledge and 

skills. Its multi-coloured pattern 

represents the diversity of cultures, 

knowledge and skills within the 

Māngere East community. 

The korowai is available for 

community members to wear at 

graduations. For more information 

please contact Māngere East 

Community Centre: ph. 09 275 6161. 

CONSUMER 

CHRISTMAS? 

Words & pictures by 

Alan & Rev. Emily Worman 

Church in Progress MCC 

What’s your favourite 

Christmas memory? 

Our guess is it’s not receiving 

a big fancy present, 

right? Or when you maxed 

out your credit card? 

More likely it’s a feeling 

without a massive pricetag. 

That feeling you get 

when the people you 

love are together, sharing 

food and conversation. 

That magical anticipation 

in your stomach. Singing 

carols at church or around 

the neighbourhood. 

Perhaps it’s simply that 

summer feeling and having 

some time off work. 

Christmas is special, but it 

doesn’t always go smoothly. 

Especially with all the extra 

pressure from adverts that 

tell us: “If you spend enough, 

your day will be perfect!”. 

We asked people in our 

community how they 

handle the stresses of 

Christmas, and some 

had simple solutions. 

Í Í“We decide as a 

family on a spending 

limit for presents.” 

Í Í“I used to want to be a 

hero and do all the food. 

Each year I ended up totally 

stressed out and broke. Now 

everyone brings a plate. I like 

being the bossy one who 

tells them what to bring!” 

Í Í“These days we only 

get presents for the kids.” 

When you feel under 

pressure to spend, spend, 

spend, have a think about 

the original Christmas 

story: a story about a young 

refugee couple whose 

options were so limited that 

Mum had to give birth in a 

stable. We challenge you to 

slow down and look at that 

story fresh again this year. 

May you find Hope, 

Peace, Joy and Love this 

Christmas season. 

www.facebook.com/ 

ChurchinProgress 

2

COMIC GENIUS 

They might have been 

around the world with 

their art, but it all started 

on Massey Road. 

Words & Pictures By Jo Latif 

World-renown artists Ali Cowley 

and Michel Mulipola are currently 

running an exhibition called ‘Altered 

Egos’ at the Māngere Arts Centre 

with three emerging artists. 

The two Samoan artists have both 

exhibited their work across the globe, 

but they grew up just five houses 

down from each other on Massey Rd. 

And now they’re bringing their talent 

back to where it all began – to show 

their local community and inspire 

young artists wanting to make it big. 

Ali is an illustrator and animator 

and was an animation director on 

Bro’Town. He teaches at Media 

Design School in Auckland and 

invited three of his students to exhibit 

alongside himself and Michel. 

His first art teacher and first influential 

mentor was Robert (Bob) Jahnke 

from Māngere College. The art room 

at school was Ali’s safe-haven. There 

he discovered his creative side and 

learned how to express himself 

through art and drawing comics. 

Michel is a comic book artist and 

surprisingly also a professional 

wrestler for Impact Pro Wrestling. 

This ties into the title ‘Altered Egos’, 

which is about the artists having 

Inspiring the 

next generation 

of artists: Michel 

Mulipola (left) 

and Ali Cowley 

(above) and with 

students from 

Māngere College. 

different sides and choosing which 

side to show through their artwork. 

Michel’s childhood in Māngere was 

a huge influence on him. “Growing 

up here instilled a bit of resilience,” 

he says. “I was lucky enough I had 

comics at a young age... I had 

somewhere to escape to, rather than 

playing around the streets and getting 

into mischief. Also, growing up in a 

multi-cultural community – I always 

try and reflect that in my work.” 

Altered Egos is at the Māngere Arts 

Centre until 14 January 2017. 

www.urbanesia.org.nz/2016/altered-egos/ 

MOMENTUM AT THE MOUNTAIN 

It’s all go at Māngere Mountain 

Education Centre as the team heads 

into the new year. On Jan 9 they’ll 

launch their first-ever school holiday 

programme. They’re also investing 

in new resources, expanding the 

workshops on offer, refitting the 

exhibition centre and continuing 

to develop as a tourist destination. 

Follow their progress on Facebook @ 

MāngereMountainEducationCentre. 

Above: Visitors from Vietnam 

experience their first hāngi at Māngere 

Mountain Education Centre. 

Introducing Mary Cocker, a resident of 

Māngere & Māngere Bridge for over 25 years. 

Mary has studied and 

worked extensively in 

support roles in health/ 

nursing/ and caregiving 

positions both here 

and in America. 

Mary now launches 

her Real Estate career 

in property sales and is 

excited to establish 

herself with Māngere 

Bridge Realty and 

concentrate on the 

Māngere Bridge/ 

Māngere area, where 

she is a proud resident. 

Mary enjoys time spent 

with family, friends 

and church members 

as well as her Tongan 

community. She also 

works as a voluntary tutor 

for English and Maths. 

For a sincere, dependable and professional 

Real Estate service, contact Mary Cocker at: 

P: 021 0271 4060 

E: mary@mangerebridgerealty.co.nz 

A: 51 Coronation Road, PO Box 59051, 

Māngere Bridge, Auckland 2151 

ADVERTORIAL 

3

KAITIAKI 

of HARANIA STREAM 

Students from three Māngere East schools are helping 

restore a neglected neighbourhood treasure. 

By Justine Skilling 

Waste Minimisation Facilitator 

Talking Rubbish, ME Family Services 

If waterways are “the life blood 

of Papatūānuku”, the state of the 

Harania Stream in recent years might 

give us cause for concern about the 

health of our local environment. 

Choked with household waste, shiny 

with oil from storm water running off 

the roads and occasionally flooded 

with sewage caused by blockages 

in nearby pipes, the stream – which 

runs through Māngere East and into 

the Manukau Harbour – has been a 

bit of an eyesore in our community. 

Things are slowly changing 

though, thanks to the efforts of 

several local schools and the work 

of Wai Care co-ordinators Kate 

Loman-Smith and Andrew Jenks. 

For the past two years, Wai Care 

have been working with Te Kura 

Māori o Ngā Tapuwae, Southern 

Cross Campus and Māngere East 

Primary School students, clearing 

rubbish out of the stream, weeding 

and replanting the banks with native 

trees, and monitoring the water quality. 

Groups of students regularly visit 

the stream and are starting to see 

some changes. “There’s less rubbish 

now than when we came last year”, 

said one student on a recent visit. 

Spending time at the stream provides 

lots of learning opportunities for 

these young people and the schools 

are linking the students’ experiences 

with school subjects, including 

science, English, social studies, 

maths, PE and even technology. 

Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae 

teacher Qaiser Iqbal is planning a 

project with technology students to 

design and build portable bridges 

that can be used by school groups 

to cross the stream more easily 

during their sessions there. 

Although small, the stream is 

home to several species of fish 

and eels, including longfin and 

shortfin eels, banded kokopu, the 

4 

Right: Students replant the banks of the 

Harania Stream with native sedges.

Left: Students from 

Te Kura Māori o Ngā 

Tapuwae with some 

of the rubbish they 

have removed from 

Harania stream. 

Below left: Suitcases, 

chairs, toys, and pots 

and pans were just 

some of the items 

found during the 

clean up. 

The stream is home to 

several species of fish 

and eels... adult eels swim 

all the way to Tonga to 

breed, and the baby eels 

float back here to live. 

rare giant kokopu, inanga and 

very young yellow-eyed mullet. 

Many students are surprised to 

learn that adult eels in the stream 

swim all the way to Tonga to 

breed, and that the baby eels float 

all the way back here to live. 

Students and teachers alike are 

learning first-hand about the impact 

we humans are having on our 

natural environment. “It’s a real eye 

opener, seeing how much plastic 

is in the mud. Being a dad and 

knowing the convenience of buying 

stuff…. It makes you think”, said 

one teacher. “Imagine how much 

rubbish would be in the whole of 

Auckland”, a student commented. 

“If I can inspire even a few students 

to stand up and take notice then 

that’s a step towards the future 

protection and care of our local 

waterways”, said Southern Cross 

Campus teacher Priya Delana. 

The students have an exciting vision 

for the stream. One day, they’d like 

to be able to swim there, drink the 

water and go eeling. They want 

the stream to be a “happy, healthy 

and safe” place in the community. 

“Just because we live in the city, 

doesn’t mean we can’t have a 

stream”, said one student. 

To achieve their vision, they need the 

support of the whole community. For 

starters, the students want people to 

stop throwing their household waste 

and inorganic rubbish into the stream. 

To prevent sewage overflows, 

they are also urging residents to 

stop flushing baby wipes down 

the toilet and pouring oil and 

fat down the kitchen sink. 

Above: The stream is home to several 

species of fish – and eels like this one. 

They’d also like people visiting the 

stream to take care of the native 

seedlings that they’ve planted along 

the banks. “The stream could be a 

really nice community spot for walks, 

picnics or playing”, says Qaiser. 

A huge thank you to Te Kura 

Māori o Ngā Tapuwae, Southern 

Cross Campus, Māngere East 

Primary and Wai Care for being 

kaitiaki of Harania Stream! 

Let’s all join together in supporting 

them to restore this waterway 

and improve the health of 

Papatūānuku in our area. 

For more information about how 

to get rid of household waste 

and unwanted inorganics, please 

contact Justine at Talking Rubbish, 

ME Family Services. Ph. 022 102 819 

or email: justine@mefsc.org.nz 

5

Stepping up the campaign to 

PROTECT 

IHUMĀTAO 

The campaign to protect Ihumātao 

has stepped up another level with the 

Kaitiaki Village info hub now situated 

alongside the proposed development 

site near the Ōtuataua Stonefields 

Historic Reserve in Māngere. 

With the need to increase kaitiakitanga 

(guardianship) over the 

whenua, the tent village was 

aptly established following the 

community commemoration 

of Parihaka* on 5 November. 

Led by mana whenua and locals, the 

peaceful protest is one of the latest 

in an almost two-year campaign 

to stop a 480-dwelling residential 

development planned by Fletcher. 

Since early November, over 500 

visitors have come to the village to 

show their support for the kaupapa. 

The registration book allows visitors 

to write their views on the campaign, 

on the Kaitiaki Village and whether 

they agree or disagree with what 

the campaign is trying to achieve. 

Of the hundreds visiting the site, 

there have been zero negative 

responses. Instead, many of the 

messages call for greater action and 

are uplifting. 

“Don’t give up, don’t stop fighting 

for your rights!” says one visitor. 

“People before profits. When protest 

becomes impossible, resistance 

becomes duty,” says another. 

Among the visitors was the 29th New 

Zealand delegation for the Ship for 

World Youth. The group are travelling 

to Japan in January to present on 

non-violent peaceful resistance, 

they will include Ihumātao as one 

of their topics at the conference. 

With more creative ideas stowed 

away, campaigners are in for the 

long haul and will continue to look 

for clever ways to protect Ihumātao 

from destructive development. 

VIRTUAL OCCUPATION 

To boost public support across 

Aotearoa, and internationally, 

and in response to the mounting 

controversy about Special Housing 

Below: Ihumātao Kaitiaki Village welcomes visitors 

Area (SHA) 62, the SOUL group 

(Save Our Unique Landscape) has 

set up a ‘virtual occupation’ with 

the support of Auckland-based 

creative agency Sugar and Partners. 

Those visiting the site www. 

protectihumatao.co.nz and 

registering with the occupation 

are represented by a personalised 

place-marker. This place-marker 

allows their name to appear on an 

early New Zealand survey map of 

the area. The map locates SHA 62 

next to the neighbouring Ōtuataua 

Stonefields Historic Reserve, which 

borders the Manukau Harbour, 

and the Ihumātao papakainga. 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE 

Recent discoveries made by two 

of New Zealand’s most senior 

archaeologists have called into 

question the adequacy and 

6 

My Neighbourhood – A Community Musical Story 

by Shirl’e Fruean 

Matthew Faiumu 

Salapu, also known as 

‘Anonymouz,’ is a Hip 

Hop producer who 

grew up in Māngere. 

He had a vision of 

bringing the Māngere 

and Ōtāhuhu community 

together through music 

and film to “help shape 

and conceptualise the 

different stories through 

these mediums – giving 

a deeper awareness.” 

His venture also doubles 

as a “great opportunity 

to not only entertain 

people, but also inform, 

educate and inspire them 

with recollections of 

interesting local histories 

and legends as articulated 

by our local community 

leaders,” he says. 

The dream became a 

reality for Anonymouz 

when he won support from 

the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu 

Local Board, his wife 

Noma, and a couple of 

musicians – which soon 

grew into 100 musicians, 

songwriters and lyricists 

within the community. 

Ran Events, Epiphany 

Pacific Trust, Māngere Arts 

Centre and many others 

contributed, and within a 

month, a special screening 

to celebrate the release of 

this project was held in the 

Māngere Town Centre. 

The “My Neighbourhood” 

community EP music 

video starts with this 

message by Peter Sykes 

a visionary community 

enterprise advocate: 

“One of the biggest 

untapped resources 

are the stories of our 

forebears, because we’ve 

been told that they are 

not relevant to the current 

space. But until we hear 

the stories, we cannot 

make the connections, 

and if we don’t let people 

articulate their stories, 

then they’re not valued.” 

Anonymouz produced ten 

powerful songs blending 

a fusion of boombap, 

trap, R&B, soul and live 

pasefika beats woven in 

between each track with 

passion and conviction. 

Beautiful Pacific samples 

sweetly sung by local 

school students, and 

authentic melodies 

harmoniously belted 

out by local artists and 

students of Māngere and 

Ōtāhuhu Colleges, remind 

us to smile and appreciate 

our neighbourhood, who 

we are, and where we 

come from with a sense 

of pride. Like the simple 

yet compelling story 

of Hape and Kaiwhare, 

the big stingray, and the 

migration of tangata 

whenua from Hawaiki to 

Aotearoa, arriving safely

Above: Campaigning to prevent the desecration of heritage landscape in Māngere. 

conclusions of a Fletcher report 

presented to Council consent 

hearings in February 2016. 

Newly discovered shell midden and 

fire remains were recently identified 

by archaeologist Dave Veart who 

describes the find as ‘culturally 

significant’. He says: “midden is a 

word archaeologists use to describe 

old rubbish. They can tell us about 

diet, environment and dates. They 

are time capsules that give us 

important glimpses of the past, so 

they are very important rubbish!”. 

In a separate study, archaeologist Ian 

Lawlor states that major stonewall 

structures on the designated SHA 62 

land were created by Maori prior to 

European settlement of the area. 

Lawlor suggests, on the basis of 

their structure and orientation, that 

the stonewalls: “most likely date 

between the period 1846 to 1863, 

and they represent remnants of 

historic Maori farming activities”. 

This means the walls were built 

well before the land was unjustly 

confiscated from local Māori in 

the 1860s. These walls may be the 

last remnant of the kilometres of 

stone walls depicted in the area 

on Captain Drury’s 1853 Manukau 

Harbour Maritime Survey map. 

The omission of these archaeological 

taonga calls into question not 

only the integrity of the Fletcher 

report, but the resource consent 

approval obtained by Fletcher and 

the viability of the proposed SHA. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 

• x Sign the virtual occupation 

at www.protectihumatao. 

co.nz. Then forward it to five 

of your friends to sign! 

• x Donate to the campaign 

https://givealittle.co.nz/ 

cause/soulstopsha62 

• x Email your support 

saveihumatao@gmail.com 

Facebook/SOUL.noSHA 

Facebook/Kaitiaki-Village 

The Kaitiaki Village welcomes 

donations of canvas tents, 

tarpaulins, solar panels, portaloos, 

and non-perishable food items. 

*Parihaka pā, and the leadership 

of Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu 

Kakahi, became a symbol of peaceful 

resistance against land confiscations 

in 1881 after colonial troops invaded 

the settlement and committed 

one of the worst infringements of 

civil rights in Aotearoa’s history. 

Above left: Some of the 100 artists who feature on ‘My Neighbourhood’. Above right: Anonymouz (right) and the film crew at Ihumātao. 

at Ihumātao, a special 

sacred area in Māngere. 

Track four on the EP, 

which is called “Push You 

Back”, is a special waiata 

by Māngere artists Lopz, 

Ace, Queen Shirl’e, Kylie 

Tawha, CeeJay, Hake 

and MC in support of 

the current campaign 

to protect Ihumātao. 

A beautiful back-story 

about Māngere Mountain 

narrated by kaitiaki 

mātauranga Waimarie 

Rakena and sung by 

students describes 

Māngere as “the lazy 

winds”. These great stories 

weaved through the EP 

take us on an educational 

journey recalling our 

roots and culture, but 

also alerting us to what’s 

really happening in our 

community, to look after 

and appreciate our place, 

our neighbourhood, our 

beautiful Māngere. 

The “My neighbourhood” 

EP music video is 

now available to view 

on Youtube under 

Anonymouz. It can also 

be downloaded from 

Itunes NZ. All proceeds will 

be donated to two local 

charities: The Māngere 

Mountain Education Centre 

(for the preservation of 

Māngere history) and the 

Ōtāhuhu Historical Society 

(for the preservation 

of Ōtāhuhu history). 

7

ROBERTSON RD FINALISTS IN TECH CHALLENGE 

Robertson Road Primary travel to 

finals thanks to a solar-powered car. 

At the end of November, a team of budding engineers 

from Robertson Road Primary represented South Auckland 

at the finals of the 2016 Vector Technology Challenge. 

Earlier in the year the group of four students from Room 

29 (year 5/6) had wowed judges with a solar-powered 

car made from up-cycled materials - which saw them 

top the South Auckland heats of the competition. 

For that first round of the Challenge the group was sent a 

design brief and some basic materials, including a solarpanel 

and two small motors. The rest was up to them. 

“We found out three days before [the competition] and 

we started designing the car,” explains Christopher. 

It was a process of experimenting and problemsolving, 

with the group trialling a number of different 

materials before deciding that cheap, easy-to-find 

recycled materials such as cardboard, milk bottletops 

and toothpicks would work best. “We made 

one [car] out of a milk carton but then it didn’t 

work so we changed it to cardboard,” says Ofa. 

The judges were impressed by the group’s 

resourcefulness and use of everyday items to create 

something that fitted the brief and worked well. 

A few weeks later, the awesome foursome from Robertson 

Road were invited back to compete in the finals. This time 

they had to make a solar-powered boat. Again, they used 

only recycled materials that would otherwise be heading 

to the landfill, and they even managed to include a bit 

of Polynesian flavour, using a tapa-cloth for the sail. 

Although their boat design didn’t win the over-all prize, 

the group know “it’s not all about winning and coming 

first” (Ofa) and are thankful for the opportunity. 

They learned some valuable lessons along the way 

including the importance of “teamwork” (Logan) 

and “having fun” (Trent). Their advice to students 

entering the competition next year is “don’t glue 

the motor to the paddle!” (Christopher). 

Below: Robertson Rd School students Ofa, Christopher, 

Logan and Trent with their solar-powered boat and car, and 

their trophy from the Vector Technology Challenge. 

Getting 

a licence 

pays off 

Bianca used to rely on her mum to 

get her to and from work. But now 

she has her restricted licence she can 

drive herself there legally – and it’s 

even led to an unexpected bonus. 

“My work is supporting me to become 

a manager, but when I was on my 

learner’s I couldn’t fulfil all aspects 

of the role because some of the jobs 

required me to drive,” Bianca says. 

“Having got my restricted now I can do 

more and take on more responsibilities”. 

Now that she can take on more 

responsibilities Bianca will get a 

pay rise, and she can also work 

hours that suit her better. 

“It’s made such a big difference in 

my life, and my mum is happy too,” 

Bianca says. “I feel a sense of freedom 

and confidence knowing that 

I’m driving legally and don’t have 

to worry about getting fines”. 

Left: Having her restricted licence 

has really helped Bianca at work. 

Having your restricted and full licence 

can really pay off. It can open up new 

employment opportunities - while 

not being licensed can be a real dealbreaker 

when looking for a job or 

getting that promotion you want. 

Get Legal: Nothing quite compares to 

the freedom of driving the streets 100% 

legal and without the worry of getting 

caught. With the holiday’s coming 

up, it’s going to be a busy time on the 

roads, with more Police on patrol too. 

Make sure you don’t get caught out. 

Get your restricted or full driver’s 

licence and help make the roads 

safer for your friends and whānau. 

Find out more about getting your 

licence at www.behindthewheel.nz 

or come along to one of the awesome 

licensing workshops! 

Follow Behind the Wheel on 

Facebook for the latest workshop 

dates: @behindthewheelmangere. 

8 

ADVERTORIAL

ADVERTORIAL 

MARAMATAKA: 

December 2016 

by Ayla Hoeta 

popUP SOUTH 

South Auckland social 

enterprise collective 

takes Polynesia to 

Auckland waterfront. 

This month, visitors to Wynyard 

Quarter on Auckland‘s waterfront will 

be able to experience “popUP South”, 

which showcases a rich diversity 

of Polynesian handicrafts, food and 

entertainment from South Auckland. 

The newly developed popUP 

South Collective is on a mission to 

promote the talents of local people 

and provide opportunities to sell 

their work to a broader audience. 

popUP South Collective spokesperson 

Ina Michael says there is a 

growing interest from visitors and 

locals about where they can access 

authentic Polynesian arts, crafts, 

food and other cultural experiences. 

“At the same time so many 

talented individuals in South 

Auckland are creating incredible 

traditional and contemporary 

craft items, performing arts and 

budding hospitality businesses 

that are looking for somewhere to 

expose and sell their goods, so we 

thought – let’s trial a new initiative 

to bring the groups together.” 

The Wynyard Christmas project will 

be the first in a broader summer 

pop-up festival programme to be 

held in various locations across 

Auckland, as part of a longer term 

collective vision to encourage 

people to experience the rich multicultural 

diversity of South Auckland. 

“With Auckland being home to the 

largest Polynesian population in 

the world, we see huge untapped 

potential to build and drive cultural 

tourism from the south,” Ina says. 

“This is just a starting point for this 

exciting new direction in local social 

enterprise development via a cooperative 

model, where our families 

and communities can benefit directly 

from interaction with the market.” 

popUP South Collective brings 

together South Auckland 

community organisations and 

has the support of the Māngere 

Ōtāhuhu Local Board, the Auckland 

Council’s development team at 

Pānuku Development Auckland, 

Community Empowerment 

Unit, Māngere Ōtāhuhu Arts 

and The Southern Initiative. 

Visit popUP South at Te Wero 

Island, Wynyard Crossing, 

Auckland Waterfront. 

From midday – 8pm, every day 

until Wed, 

Dec 21. 

Contact: 

info@pop 

upsouth. 

com 

“Hurihia te aroaro ki te ra, tukuna 

to atarangi kia taka ki muri ia koe.” 

“Turn your face to the sun and the 

shadows will fall behind you.” 

Kia ora tātou, it’s exciting to see 

brighter days as we head into the 

third phase of raumati (summer). 

Have you noticed the flowering of 

the northern rātā or old pohutukawa, 

and seen the canopy turning from 

white (hana) to red (muramura)? 

The time that the pohutukawa 

blossoms has been known to our 

tupuna for thousands of years. In 

Hawai’i they call these trees ‘Lehua‘ 

after the giant star Lehua or 

Rehua (Antares). The people of 

Hawai’i say that when the star 

Lehua rises in the east, it triggers 

the flowering of the Lehua trees. 

This ancient knowledge was 

brought to Aotearoa on our waka 

over a thousand years ago. Today 

we use that knowledge to understand 

the third period of summer: 

matiti muramura. 

I’m sure most of us will be equipping 

ourselves for the summer 

break and whānau time. To align 

with the maramataka, set your 

dial* so that ‘rākaunui’ on the big 

orange circle aligns with the number 

12 on the small blue circle. 

You should now see that the high 

energy days for this month (Oturu, 

Rākaunui and Rākau ma tohi) 

fall on December 11 – 13. Good 

days for reflecting are korekore te 

whiawhia and korekore te rawea, 

which are on December 16 and 17. 

The best days for fishing and 

planting (Tangaroa a mua, Tangaroa 

a roto and Tangaroa 

kiokio) are December 19 – 21. 

This year, Christmas Day will fall 

on te ra mutuwhenua, which is a 

day to unwind and relax – a great 

day for whānau time. Hope everyone 

has a fantastic Christmas and 

summer break with loved ones. 

See you back in the New Year. 

#maramataka #merikirihimete 

*You can download a maramataka 

dial from www.275Times.com 

9

Māngere East Festival 

Thank you to the fantastic performers, volunteers, 

stallholders and audience members who 

helped us celebrate at this year’s festival. 

Special thanks to the festival sponsors: Countdown 

Māngere East, Hirepool, Mainfreight, Māngere 

East Village Business Association, Māngere- 

Ōtāhuhu Local Board, Creative Communities, Rep 

FM and Māngere East Community Centre. 

10

Blind band with a vision 

The Four Fathers band members 

are excited to finally release 

their first single “Holly”. 

by Epi Maselino 

The Four Fathers specialise in R&B, 

rock, reggae and pop, but they dabble 

in all genres of music. Having grown 

up in South Auckland, with three out 

of the four band members growing 

up in Māngere and the other currently 

residing here, their life experiences are 

what motivates them to write music. 

Ese Aumalesulu, the winner of the 2016 

NZ Spirit of Attitude Award, and younger 

brother Limoni Aumalesulu, along with 

friends Daniel Te’o and Waipounamu 

Silbery make up the Four Fathers band. 

All four members are visually impaired 

with varying degrees of eyesight. They 

make sure that this doesn’t stop them 

from trying to achieve their goals. “It’s 

a privilege to play to people, especially 

as there are not many bands out there 

that are blind,” says Limoni Aumalesulu. 

They spend time performing at a range 

of events while working on original 

Gold for Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Athletes 

The Māngere Ōtāhuhu 

Athletics Club celebrated 

its first gold medals of the 

season on November 27, 

with the 14-year-old boys’ 

relay team winning both 

the 4x100m relay and the 

field relay (long jump, 

discus and shot put) at the 

Counties Manukau Club 

Relay Championships. 

This is the club’s first ever 

full season. It now has 200 

members, with capacity for 

more 11- to 18-year-olds in 

its sprint and throw teams. 

music. This year, they changed the 

band’s name from ‘Ease’ to ‘The Four 

Fathers’ to represent their music and a 

new chapter in their musical journey. 

The name reflects the fact that all 

four of them are fathers, but also that 

they are ‘forefathers’ – leading the 

way for their own young families. 

This coincides with their vision to 

inspire by example and show that 

no matter your circumstances or 

the barriers you face, you really 

can achieve whatever you want. 

“We might have to work a little 

bit harder because the boys are 

blind, but it makes it that much 

more satisfying when we achieve 

our goals,” says Daniel Te’o. 

The Four Fathers have been avid 

supporters of the Māngere East Festival 

for several years and performed their 

single ‘Holly’ live for the first time at this 

year’s event. Waipounamu Silbery says 

“We are hoping to spread our music 

to the world, but even more than that, 

we want to spread the idea that hard 

work and passion smashes any barrier.” 

The club’s coaches for this 

age group are all current 

competitors in athletics. 

New Zealand reps and 

sisters Siosetina and Ofa 

Hakeai coach shot put 

and discus, while the 

sprint team is coached by 

sprinters and brothers Ben 

and Enoka Marsters. 

During the school holidays 

the club will be running a 

free summer training camp 

to prepare for the Counties 

and Auckland Junior 

Championships in February. 

Last year the club won 22 

medals at these events. 

If your child is aged 11–18 

and would benefit from 

high-quality coaching in 

shot put, discus and/or 

sprinting contact the club 

on Facebook: Māngere 

Ōtāhuhu Athletics Club, or 

moathletics@gmail.com. 

Left: Sila Esekielu, Kalvin Letoa, 

Quincy Penisio and Ajay Faleafaga 

receive their gold medals and 

Counties Manukau Club Relay 

Champions title for the 14-yearold 

boys’ 4x 100m Relay. 

11

Community Notices 

PARENTING PROGRAMMES 2017 – ENROL NOW 

Enrol or refer now for Ohomairangi Trust’s programmes: Mellow 

Bumps, Hoki ki te Rito – Oranga Whānau/Mellow Parenting for 

mums and dads, Incredible Years, Whānau4whānau. All courses 

start early Feb 2017. Day and evening options available. For 

more info, ph. 09 263 0798 or email admin@ohomairangi.co.nz. 

FREE COMMUNITY JOURNALISM WORKSHOP 

We want more local writers and contributors! 275 Times is 

organising a FREE Journalism Workshop for anyone interested 

in the Māngere community, who might want to support the 

development and depth of our community magazine. Wed, 

18 January: 9.30am–12.30pm at the Māngere East Community 

Centre, 372 Massey Road. Please ph. 09 275 6161 to register. 

OUT AND ABOUT YATES PARK XMAS FUN DAY 

Saturday, 10 December: 10:30am–2:30pm. Come and celebrate 

Christmas with Strive at Yates Rd Reserve Park. A fun filled 

family and community event. Enjoy FREE activities, BBQ, music, 

prizes and Entertainment. For more details and information call 

Larry on 021 509 993. 

JOIN OTAHUHU-MANGERE YOUTH GROUP 

OMYG is a group of future leaders who are committed to 

giving young people a voice in community matters. The group 

is driving a range of exciting local projects and youth events. If 

you’re a young person who’s passionate about giving back to 

your community and you’d like to know more, find OMYG on 

Facebook or email: otahuhumangereyouthgroup@gmail.com 

Community notices are FREE for non-profit organisations. 

Send us details of your group or event for the next issue! 

275 times 

275 

Māngere’s 

times 

Design: Belinda Fowler Editor: Roger Fowler 

Publisher: Māngere East Community Centre 

275times@gmail.com 

www.facebook.com/275times 

www 

www.275times.com 

09 275 6161 

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MANGERE 

(09) 257-5732 | 59 TIDAL RD 

Contact: Tuhin Choudhury 

TWR000695 HP 

Unit 7/17 Airpark Drive

275 Times. December 2016/ January 2017

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