About Us

I kaukau au ki ngā ōku tīpuna, nā rātau i whakarere iho ko Whakatāne te awa e rere nei.

Mai rā āno i te taunga o te waka tuatahi o ngā tupuna Karekau i tawhiti atu i tetahi awa. Ko te Awa hoki He wāhi mo ngā manuhiri tuārangi, mo ngā kitenge hou hoki Ko te manawa e kakapa ana i ranongatia ai te arohanui Ka mauri tau whakairo, ka tau te wairua Ka uru ai te whakairo ka māmā noa iho te noho ko te haere kē ka uaua te pohewa.

He rahi ngā tai i roto I ngā tau maha, ko te tai pari ko te tai timu, E hari mai ana i ngā tūruhi mai i Hawaiki nui mai Hawaiki roa Ko te manaakitanga, ko te arohanui o te Māori e mōhio whanuitia ana Na tēnei tūhāhā ka tere te tangata kē hai hoa. I muri mai ka huri aua hoar a hai whānau.

Tena ka kitea e koe tō Māoritanga e whakamahia ana i roto i te kotahi mano tau Ka kitea anō e koe tō (Māoritanga) kāinga tipu i mua tonu i a koe, i tō mātau taha, i te taha o te Awa.

Any local will tell you, that whether you’re working, playing, or just taking time out, down by the awa (river) is the most comfortable and convenient place to be.

From the time our ancestors landed the first waka, the awa has always been a place of new arrival, of discovery and of a welcoming heartbeat so captivating – staying becomes easy and saying goodbye hard to imagine.

Over the years, many tides have ebbed and flowed, bringing visitors from near and far. Our unique spirit of manaakitanga – the ultra-warm hospitality our people are renowned for – quickly turns strangers into friends, and then friends into whānau (family).

Discover a heritage of welcome one thousand years in the making and find your home away from home right here, with us, by the Awa.