Tāmaki
Hīkoi

A new Hīkoi for Whai Rawa

We are excited to announce that from 1 July Tāmaki Hīkoi will officially be handed over to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Rawa to operate.

Currently, Whai Rawa’s asset portfolio is comprised entirely of property, and with whānau interests front of mind, we see an exciting opportunity to diversify our portfolio by entering New Zealand’s largest export earner, tourism.

Our investment in tourism is to ultimately drive commercial return which will be reinvested into our hapū assets and our whānau. In addition to that, it will generate other positive spin-offs for the hapū such as employment and the ability to tell our stories in our authentic Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei way

Over the next few months we will look to relaunch and revitalise Tāmaki Hīkoi to meet the growing demands of manuhiri to Tāmaki Makaurau. Whai Maia has done a great job in managing Tāmaki Hīkoi and has helped keep Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei’s history alive through guided tours that offer an insight into our people, our ahurea and our whenua. The next chapter in the Tāmaki Hīkoi story will be built off the solid foundation that Whai Maia has established on the hapū’s behalf.

Leading the relaunch is Annie Dundas, the former general manager of Hawkes Bay Tourism, who was recently appointed to take the lead on our tourism strategy. Annie’s extensive experience in the tourism sector will be invaluable in this new venture.

It’s an exciting time for Whai Rawa and the members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, and we want to take our whānau on this journey with us as we enter the Tourism space, take the reins of Tāmaki Hīkoi and grow its reputation as a highlight of any trip to Tāmaki Makaurau.

Find out more information on the current Tāmaki Hīkoi offering here.