Homesteads: Season 1

The Ponga homestead is situated at Parinui on the Whanganui... More river and the only access to this whare is via jetboat on the awa tupua. A 24-kilometer jetboat ride up the river, flanked by lofty cliffs, and a 3-kilometre uphill hīkoi from the river bank, this homestead is the most remote of the series. The house, built by their tīpuna Te Whareponga, was left empty for many years and became dilapidated, and in serious need of repair. With no road access, they knew renovations would be difficult and costly. The Ponga whānau tells the inspiring story of how and why they overcame the many challenges to restore their homestead for their descendants.

The Makiha Homestead has long been vacant and the surrounding... More whenua of Ngatahuna in Waima hasn’t had full-time occupants for many years. In light of covid-19 and the housing crisis, whānau longed to return home but have nowhere to go. This sparked their longstanding desire to rebuild their homestead and develop a papakāinga on their whenua. With the guidance of tohunga Rereata Makiha, the whānau held a ceremony for their whānau whare, conducting karakia at dawn before dismantling the house as a family and burying it in preparation for a rebuild. Although it stirred emotions and brought back memories for family members, this marks the beginning of a new era for the Makiha whānau.

This episode centers around three Stirling Homesteads, each of which... More represents a significant time in their whānau history. The first is Otaimina, where prominent kaumātua Eruera and Amiria Stirling raised their children. The second was their Auckland homestead, where Eruera and Amiria moved their whānau for a fresh start after the loss of their son. This home still stands today on what is now known as Amiria Street, named after Amiria Stirling herself. The third is Taungaure, a newer homestead built to strengthen the families ties to their tūrangawaewae. However, while Te Kepa and his sons were building their Taungaure homestead tragedy struck the whānau when all three of his sons died in a car crash on their way to Raukokore. This strong and resilient whānau shares their deeply personal story and demonstrates how hardship has brought them even closer together.

Kitemoana Street is an urban papakāinga situated in one of... More the most affluent areas in Auckland City. This episode tells the story of how these Ngāti Whātua ki Orakei descendants came to reside on this street, highlighting significant events that impacted their iwi. From the burning down of the Ōkahu papakāinga in anticipation of a visit from Queen Elizabeth in 1953, through to the Bastion Point occupation and eviction in 1977, these historic events have shaped a resilient people. The homes of Kitemoana Street and the whānau who occupy them remain as a reminder of the fight their elders endured to ensure they continue to occupy their tūrangawaewae for generations to come.