Te Ara o Tūrongo Ceremony

We invite whānau to join us to commemorate the return of the Te Ara o Tūrongo (the Main Trunk Railway). Please complete the below registration form to confirm your attendance, for catering and parking purposes.

This event will be livestreamed across our Facebook & Youtube pages for those who are unable to join us on the day.

This is proudly supported by our event partners – KiwiRail and MOTAT

EVENT - Te Ara o Tūrongo

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Historical overview

Following the atrocities at Rangiaowhia and the battle at O-Rākau between the British troops in 1864, Maniapoto established an Aukati line (boundary) to restrict any foreign entry into the rohe. Through a series of assurances known as Te Ohākī Tapu, Maniapoto eventually agreed to the construction of the railway line through Maniapoto lands.

On Wednesday 15th April 1885, a Turning of the Sod ceremony was held on the southern side of the Pūniu river, which marked the opening of the rohe. At that ceremony, Reihana Wahanui Te Huatare proposed Tūrongo as the name for the railway line within the Maniapoto rohe.

134 years later, in September 2019, the fulfilment of that proposal was realised and the railway line within the rohe was officially recognised as Te Ara o Tūrongo.

Program overview

Hātarei, 15 o Āperira 2023   |  Saturday 15th April

Kei: 448 Te Māwhai Road, Tokanui

09:00am  |  Arrival & Hauora checks

10:00am  |  Flag raising

10:30am  |  Pōwhiri 1 – Welcome Invited guests

12:50pm  |  Pōwhiri 2 – Welcome Crown officials

02:20pm  |  High tea

03:00pm  |  Guests and Crown officials depart

 

Parking details

Parking at Mangatoatoa

Please note: With positive cases in the rohe, our Health and Safety team have advised that we will be conducting Rapid Antigen Testing. This is to ensure that all participants are well and safe. We recommend arriving earlier to give you enough time to test. Me tiaki tātou i a tātou 💛

Looking forward to having you join us! 

Are you registered?

To apply for a grant or scholarship, you or a parent will need to be registered. To register, head to the link below. 

He pātai?

Do you have a pātai or Te Ara o Tūrongo related enquiry?

comms@tnn.co.nz     |     0800 668 285