Built in the early 2000’s Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff is the southern most marae in New Zealand. It is unique with its beautiful contemporary carvings by Cliff Whiting. Community Trust South proudly granted $400,000 towards this focal point of Awarua Runaka and the Bluff community.
“We built something there that we’re proud of as a people, as a hapu, but we also want it not just for us. We like to share what we’ve got.
Since the completion of that project 17-18 years ago we’ve had tens of thousands of people come through our marae and have had the opportunity to experience and be part of a Maori and marae experience, especially around education in schools. We have a relationship with a lot of schools, so the funding didn't just help our Maori and our hapu - although we're very thankful - but it was part of a wider community engagement."
DEAN WHAANGA
Kaiwhakahaere Te Runaka O Awarua
