Pātai

Visiting and Conserving Wetlands

Can I visit the wetland sites? 

Yes, some of sites with narratives on the Taonga Repo page are available to visit. Details for availability and how to visit below. 

Visit Hinetauira

The Hinetauira recording site is located in Lake Domain Reserve, which is about 10 minutes drive from Featherston. The recording site is near where Soldiers Settlement Road South, Lake Reserve, meets Lake Wairarapa. Parking is available near the recording site. Lake Domain Reserve includes a recreational area for camping, fishing, kayaking and walking. There is an easy walking trail heading east from the recording site that goes to Barton’s Lagoon. 

Information about Lake Domain Reserve and Barton’s Lagoon:
https://www.waiwetlands.org.nz/lake-domain  

Walk trail details:
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/wellington/lake-domain-reserve-walk 

Visit Kahutara

The Kahutara recording site is on the Eastern side of Lake Wairarapa, accessible via Parera Road, off Kahutara Road. Restoration efforts in the area have restored wildlife habitat. There is no parking site, but you can park next to the road. 

More information:
https://www.waiwetlands.org.nz/boggy-pond-and-wairio-wetlands

Visit Kiriwai

The Kiriwai recording site is next to Kiriwai Lagoon, where Beach Road meets the moana (ocean). Note that the road is unsealed gravel as it approaches the beach. There is an informal parking area there. 

More information about Ōnoke Spit and Kiriwai Lagoon:
https://www.waiwetlands.org.nz/onoke-spit-and-kiriwai 

Visiting the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands (PDF):
https://gwrc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2022/05/Wai-Moana-visitor-guide-Oct-2016.pdf

Visit Maramamau

This site is on private property and is not accessible to the public.

Visit Tauwharerata

The Tauwharerata recording site is in Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve. The location is on Western Lake Road, Western Lake approximately 16km from Featherston. There is a picnic site, with a picnic shelter and toilet, with space for parking. The recording site itself is not easily accessible but there is a nice walkway through bush along the lake side.

More information about Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve:
https://www.waiwetlands.org.nz/otauira-reserve-waiorongomai-wairarapa-lake-shore-scenic-reserve 

Visiting the Wairarapa Moana wetlands (PDF):
https://gwrc.govt.nz/assets/Documents/2022/05/Wai-Moana-visitor-guide-Oct-2016.pdf 

Can I take my students on a field trip to the sites? 

Yes, the Kahutara, Hinetauira, and Tauwharerata sites are particularly accessible for student trips.  Both Hinetauira and Tauwharerata are close to toilets and parking is available at or near the recording sites. See the FAQ ‘Can I visit the recording/interview sites?’ for further details on visiting these sites.

Can I get a tour of the wetland area?

Tours by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa are possible, please contact us via our contact page

Is there any overnight accommodation in the area?

There is overnight accommodation in nearby towns. The Destination Wairarapa website lists some accommodation options in the area: https://wairarapanz.com/accommodation 

How do I help conserve my wetlands?

World Wetlands Day was started by the United Nations and is held on February 2nd every year to raise awareness of the urgency of preventing the loss of wetlands, and to promote wetland conservation and restoration. 

The official website provides a range of resources and suggested activities that can be undertaken around World Wetlands Day, as well as actions that can be taken at any time of year to help protect and restore wetlands: https://www.worldwetlandsday.org/   

VR (Virtual Reality)

How do I use VR at home?

Use of the VR app is only through events and arrangement with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa at present.  However, Google Cardboard is an affordable way to experience virtual reality (VR) at home and you can view the 360 degree videos via our channel on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOJfzyD4S3VvaM5mHtCBGNw). Cardboard viewers are typically a lot cheaper than purchasing a dedicated 3D headset – provided you already have a smartphone. To use a cardboard viewer, use your smartphone to visit an appropriate VR video, place your smartphone inside the viewer, place the viewer over your eyes. Interaction is limited but you can explore the locations in 360 degrees.  

More information about Google Cardboard:
https://arvr.google.com/cardboard/ 

Where can I try the VR program?

Upcoming events where you can try the VR program will be listed here when confirmed.

Education

How can the website be used for high school education?

Download the Education Resources document for ideas for using the Wairarapa Glistening Water website for primary and high school education available on our Education Resources page.

Which curriculum subjects can I use the website for?

The resources on the Wairarapa Glistening Water website link in well with the following subject areas: 

• Aotearoa NZ’s Histories
• Geography
• Te Reo Māori
• Digital Technologies
• Earth and Space Science 
• Education for Sustainability 
• English 
• Media Studies 
• Music
• Science 
• Visual Arts

Please download the Education Resources document for ideas for using the website resources for high school teaching on our Education Resources page.

Ngāti Kahunguni ki Wairarapa and Tikanga Māori

How do I register with Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa?

To register with the Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Tāmaki Nui-a-Rua Settlement Trust, visit: 
https://www.kkwtnr.org.nz/349-2/ 

To register with Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi, visit:
https://www.kahungunu.iwi.nz/registration

Where can I take a Tikanga Māori course?

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa offers tikanga Māori courses (as well as other programmes including Te Reo Māori (Māori language) and Toi (art)). Several of their courses can be undertaken at home, with the assistance of a kaitiaki (support person), and are subsidised by the NZ government, which makes them very accessible. 

For more information, visit: https://www.twoa.ac.nz/