Area of Service - Tainui Waka Region
Tainui Waka refers to the traditional geographic boundaries of the Waikato, Maniapoto, Raukawa and Hauraki Iwi. These four Iwi share an affiliation to the ancestral waka (canoe) named Tainui.
The Tainui Waka region is described by the following well known proverb:
Ko MÅkau ki runga
(MÅkau is above)
Ko TÄmaki ki raro
(TÄmaki is below)
Ko Mangatoatoa ki waenganui.
(Mangatoatoa is between)
Pare Hauraki, Pare Waikato
(The boundaries of Hauraki, the boundaries of Waikato)
Te Kaokaoroa-Å-PÄtetere.
(To the place called ‘the long armpit of PÄtetere').
MÅkau refers to the river in north Taranaki, and TÄmaki to the isthmus on which the city of Auckland now stands. Mangatoatoa is a small village south of Te Awamutu. Pare Hauraki is the Hauraki region including the Piako, ÅŒhinemuri and Coromandel districts. Pare Waikato is the region north of KÄwhia to the Manukau Harbour and across to the HÅ«nua and the HapÅ«akohe Range.
The ‘Tainui Waka' region therefore covers a substantial part of the central North Island including the Franklin, Hauraki, Matamata-Piako, Otorohanga, South Waikato, Thames-Coromandel, Waikato, Waipa and Waitomo Districts. The region also includes Hamilton City, Te Awamutu, Cambridge and Huntly as well as much of South Auckland (e.g. Manukau, Mangere, Papakura, Port Waikato etc.)
Of particular note, approximately 50% of the MÄori population resides within 2 hours drive of Hamilton, the main commercial centre of the Tainui Waka region.