A hongi in the ancestral heartland of Ngati Awa is a moving cultural experience, writes Paul Rush.
Whenever I visit Whakatane, I'm always drawn to the picturesque river mouth.
The tranquil waterway that meanders serenely through the town, transforms itself into a rushing torrent between jagged, clutching fingers of black rock, as if some taniwha lurks there, intent on luring mariners to their doom.
I sometimes wonder if the unseen hand that guides me down the river walk belongs to the Lady of the Rock.
I know intuitively that there's a legend behind that elegant figure, poised in perpetuity with hair billowing in the breeze and arms stretched back as if in full flight.
On this visit, I want to learn more and unearth the rich vein of Maoridom here.
The man who is best placed to introduce me to the living ancestors of this land is William Stewart, the ''Restless Native'', who offers a full-day Maori culture package.
William worked for Tourism New Zealand under the Maori graduate programme and studied indigenous tourism ventures around the country.
''Here in Whakatane, we can't compete with the Rotorua grand cultural shows, so I've decided to personalise my tours and to connect our visitors to the local people, land and culture,'' he tells me.
William brings to life some of the treasures and stories of the pioneering ancestor Toi in Whakatane's ultra-modern Exhibition Gallery.
Seven generations after Toi, the great migration canoe Mataatua arrived under the command of Toroa.
A remarkable wall chart displays the Ngati Awa family tree, listing all the whakapapa or descendants of Toroa, who is notable for introducing the kumara to Aotearoa.
My storytelling korero experience continues along the Awa Korero River Walk, tracing the footsteps of William's revered ancestors.
We pause in front of sacred Muriwai's Cave. The rear portion is sealed out of respect for the elders buried there.
''My Nana told me to treat this place with reverence when I was young,'' William tells me before offering up a prayer (karakia) and an earnest speech (mihi) in front of the cave.
''Here I am, my beloved Kuia, with a manuhiri (visitor) to once again celebrate your life. We come in peace, deeply respectful of your presence in this place.''
The burial cave has intricately carved door posts and lintels.
We briefly peer into the dark interior, then cross the road to view two magnificent canoes.
One is designed for women to paddle, something that was never permitted in the early days.
''The Whakatane River is New Zealand's longest continually occupied settlement,'' William says.
''The great Mataatua canoe arrived around 1350AD from distant Hawaiki, which many people believe is the island of Raiatea in French Polynesia.''
I learn that when the canoe landed at the mouth of the river, Toroa and his warriors leapt ashore, eager to explore the new land.
Meanwhile, the tide rose and floated the canoe away.
Toroa's daughter, Wairaka, stood up in the bow of the stricken canoe and cried out, ''Kia Whakatane au I ahau!'' meaning, ''I will become a man''.
She paddled safely back to shore and her desperate cry was adopted as the name of the settlement.
It's a beautiful story and William reveals his passionate love of heritage in its telling.
His ''restless'' spirit comes from a desire to actively share his knowledge and promote a closer understanding and connection between Pakeha and Maori cultures.
He does this very effectively with his Kia Ora Hangi Experience.
An authentic earth oven with a modern twist is laid down in the backyard of his home, which is in the centre of the original Matirerau kumara gardens.
The hangi uses a gas bottle attached to a leaf blower and a pipe nozzle that directs a fierce flame on to rocks to speed up the heating process.
While the high-tech hangi is steaming merrily away, we drive to Kohi Point Lookout and enter the darkening bush in search of Whiu Whiu, an active male kiwi that carries a transmitter.
The local trust has liberated 200 kiwi in the area and proudly claims Whakatane as the ''Kiwi Capital of the World''.
However, tonight Whiu Whiu proves elusive in the dense forest understorey.
We track him with night vision goggles to the point where we can just make out his snuffling and scratching in the leaf litter.
Back at the hangi, we bow in silence for a karakia directed to the god of peace and cultivated foods.
The feast consists of succulent chicken, pork, green-lipped mussels, kumara, pumpkin and potatoes, followed by feijoa pudding with cream.
My Maori cultural experience is rounded off with a visit to Mataatua marae to view this superbly carved meeting house that has come home after 130 years.
The magnificent wharenui embraces all the great ancestral legends in its carvings.
Guide Whitney greets us with a hongi and explains that the house was built to restore pride to a depressed Ngati Awa tribe after land confiscations due to associations with 19th-century Maori leader Te Kooti.
The meeting house was packed up and shipped to Sydney for a major exhibition despite local protests.
It then began a series of peregrinations around the world to Melbourne, London and Dunedin until a Waitangi Tribunal deed of settlement released it back to the grateful heart of the Ngati Awa whanau in Whakatane.
A mind-blowing light and sound show is the climax of the tour, which is a very rewarding visitor's guide to basic marae protocol.
William's stories have fascinated me and moved me to a place of greater understanding of what it means to be a modern man who cherishes his Maoritanga, respects his taonga (treasures), wahi tapu (sacred sites) and whakapapa.
He has planted a seed of knowledge in me, which I will nurture in the sincere belief that understanding is the key to unlocking a new era of racial harmony in New Zealand.
The ''Restless Native'' of Whakatane has a message worth listening to.
• Paul Rush visited Whakatane with assistance from local tourist operators and Ohope Beach Top 10 Holiday Park.
Protocol for a Maori welcome on the marae
Powhiri (welcome) is the greeting of manuhiri (visitors) by tangata whenua (hosts) on to the marae. This could be for a tangi (funeral), special occasion, a meeting on mutual issues or a visit by strangers.
In the past, the wero was a challenge from the hosts to see whether the visitors came in peace or war. In today's society, the wero is more of a ceremonial challenge.
The kaikaranga (caller) calls the visitors on to the marae and a woman accompanying the visitors will reply. The visitors move towards the vacant seats reserved for them and are seated.
The hosts will begin the mihi (speeches). The speeches acknowledge the creator, the tipuna (ancestors) of the tribe; welcome the visitors and state the purpose of the hui (meeting). After each speaker, a waiata (song) is performed.
Koha (gift) is given to the hosts from the visitors, after the final speaker. Traditionally, the gifts were precious taonga (treasures) such as pounamu (greenstone), whale bone etc. In modern times, the accepted form is money.
It is now time for the hosts and visitors to shake hands and hongi (greeting by pressing nose and forehead together, and the mingling of breath). The final stage of the welcome ceremony is sharing kai (food) at the hakari (feast). Karakia (prayer) is said before eating starts.
Fact file
• Whakatane is a beautiful coastal town located towards the eastern end of the Bay of Plenty, 290km from Auckland, 97km from Tauranga.
• There are about 50 holiday activities on land and sea in the district and a number of mid-range hotels, motels, home stays and campgrounds to choose from.
• Ohope Beach is a 15-minute drive over the hill on a long sandspit enclosing the broad Ohiwa Harbour
