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- E oho! Excursion to Māori sites of significance on Matiu-Somes Island
Cancelled
E oho! Excursion to Māori sites of significance on Matiu-Somes Island
Part of E oho! Waitangi series
Saturday 29 April 2023, 11am to 1:30pm
Free event but travel costs are not included. Confirmed participants need to pay for their own ferry tickets.
Jump on the ferry to Matiu Somes Island and hear about its fascinating history from a Te Atiawa perspective by Ihaia Puketapu (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Ruapani, and Ngai Tuhoe) on the day that Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in Wellington Harbour in 1840.
Fully booked
This event is fully booked.
Haerenga ki ngā wāhi tapu o te motu o Matiu | Excursion to Māori sites of significance on Matiu-Somes Island
Pack a picnic, bring the whānau and jump on the ferry to Matiu-Somes Island in the middle of Te-Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. Once you depart the ferry, you will step back in time and hear about the history of the island from oral historian Ihaia Puketapu at the iwi house Whare Mahana up on the hill.
Enjoy a spectacular view and kapu tī while Ihaia shares stories of Matiu-Somes Island from a Te Atiawa perspective.
Hear more about Kupe who named the island, Māori pā, the use of Matiu-Somes Island as a quarantine station and prison during World War II, and the Port Nicholson Block Treaty Settlement and co-governance of the island today.
You can ask questions of Ihaia and the mana whenua present over your BYO picnic lunch or explore the island in your own time and discover its fauna and flora, with a bit of luck you can spot tuatara, giant weta and rare birds. You decide which ferry you take to return to the main land, but don’t miss the last ferry back.
RSVP for your spot
Spaces are limited to 20 manuhiri so email to book your spot by Monday 24 April. Include the number and ages of people in your group, and your intended ferry times from Queens Wharf or Days Bay. Your place will be confirmed in the reply to your email.
Email for your spot — events.natlib@dia.govt.nz
You will need to arrange and pay for your own ferry ticket (East by West Ferry). Arrive there early or purchase your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment.
You will need moderate fitness and good, closed footwear for this excursion. The terrain is steep and rugged in places, and unsuitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Please bring a layer of warm clothing.
About the speaker
Ihaia Puketapu (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Ruapani, and Ngai Tuhoe) is based at the papakainga in Waiwhetū, Lower Hutt. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Māori Resource Management from Victoria University of Wellington, and is well known as a local carver and oral historian.
Check before you come
Due to COVID-19 some of our events can be cancelled or postponed at very short notice. Please check the website for updated information about individual events before you come. For more general information about National Library services and exhibitions have look at our COVID-19 page.
