Te PuaKeith Park
20R Roys Road, Weymouth

Te Pua

Ko te kōrero kei muri i te ingoa

Ko Te Pua te ingoa taketake o te pito whakatetonga o Wai-māhia e pātata ana ki te papa rēhia nei.

Ko Te Pua o te Karaka te roanga ake o te ingoa Te Pua – he mea taunaha ki te ingoa o tētahi kahurangi nō te iwi o Waiohua.

I whānau mai te kahurangi i raro i te karaka, i te tahatika whakatetonga o Wai-māhia.

I te kohikohi mātaitai tōna whaea nōna e whakamamae ana, me te aha ka whānau mai tana pēpi i raro i te karaka i te wā e puāwai ana ngā pua.

Whānau mai ana he pēpi, ko te tikanga a te Māori he nehu i te whenua me te pito ki tētahi wāhi e whai hononga ana ki ngā tūpuna.

He whakahirahira, he hōhonu hoki taua tikanga ki te Māori nā te mea he wāhanga matua te whenua nō te tuakiri.

E ai ki te Māori, he mea ahu mai te tangata i te tinana o Papa-tū-ā-nuku.

Ko tērā ka ahu mai i te whenua, me hoki atu ki te whenua.

I nehua te pito me te whenua o Te Pua ki raro i te karaka, ki te wāhi tonu i whānau ai ia.

Ko te ingoa Māori o tēnei papa rēhia tētahi whakanui i taua tūāhuatanga.

Nā Te Ākitai Waiohua te kōrero nei i tuku mai.

Te Pua

The story behind the name

Te Pua, meaning ‘to bloom,’ is the traditional name given to the southern point of Wai-māhia (Weymouth) which is near this park.

Te Pua, or ‘Te Pua o te Karaka’ in full — was named after the chieftainess of the local iwi, Waiohua.

The chieftainess was born under the karaka tree, on the southern banks of Waimāhia.

Her mother was out collecting shellfish at the time, when she went into labour and gave birth to her baby under the karaka tree while it was in full bloom.

After the birth of a baby, it is customary for Māori to bury the whenua (afterbirth) and pito (umbilical cord) in a place with ancestral connections.

The ritual has deep cultural importance to Māori, for whom the land is a significant source of identity.

According to Māori, man was made from the body of Earth Mother, Papa-tu-a-nuku.

‘He taonga nō te whenua, me hoki anō ki te whenua’

What is given of the land, should return to the land.

Te Pua’s pito and whenua were buried under the karaka tree exactly where she was born. The Māori name of this park is an acknowledgement of that event.

Narrative provided by Te Ākitai Waiohua.

A fully-fenced, seaside playground with wheelchair access and play equipment for children with disabilities.

The centrepiece is a covered wooden hut with tubular slide, stairs and viewing platform. Ahoy sailors, look out for pirates with the binocular. The playground also has swings and a see-saw.

Playground safety rules and tips

Follow these rules to keep yourself and others safe:

• Playgrounds are risky and designed to challenge – always supervise children.
• Use play equipment as it is intended.
• Playgrounds are for everyone – respect others, take turns.

Summer tips:

• Playground surfaces get hot – check before using and wear appropriate clothing and shoes.
• Play when it’s cool and avoid the heat of the day.
• Be sunsmart.