Alternative names Te Wharewaka o Poneke Architecture firm architecture + | Location Wellington waterfront Phone +64 4-901 3333 | |
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Address 2 Taranaki St, Wellington, 6011, New Zealand Hours Open today · 8AM–3PMTuesday8AM–3PMWednesday8AM–3PMThursday8AM–3PMFriday8AM–3PMSaturdayClosedSundayClosedMonday8AM–3PMSuggest an edit | ||
Te ra o te raukura
Te Raukura, otherwise known as Te Wharewaka o Poneke ("the waka house of Wellington") is a building on the Wellington waterfront, New Zealand. It houses a conference centre, Karaka cafe and bar, and waka.
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History
The Wharewaka houses two waka which were developed and commissioned in a partnership between Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and the Wellington City Council. A Whitireia polytechnic Whakairo tutor as well as numerous Whitireia students helped to carve the canoes under the guidance of Heck Busby, a waka builder based in Northland. The waka are made out of swamp kauri, which is believed to be over 1,000 years old. The two waka are called "Te Hononga" and "Te Rerenga Kōtare" (the flight of the kingfisher).
In October 2011, a Wellington-based Taranaki tribal collective argued that the Wharewaka did not constitute a marae, and therefore they argued that the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust should move a Trust review meeting to an actual marae in the Hutt Valley.
In April 2012, the auditor-general’s office was investigating a complaint that the $12.5-million wharewaka was a misuse of public money. Lower Hutt City councillor Tata Parata argued that the wharewaka was built inappropriately using money from the Port Nicholson Block Treaty settlement. His complaint that the building did not benefit Taranaki Whanui. As of August 2012, the issue was unresolved.