Tarryn
“It’s only since I've been in my 30's that I've had proper conversations about being Māori. I started to question all of that stuff when I moved away.
I left New Zealand just before I turned 19. I went to Australia for a few years, to the UK for a couple of years, then back to Australia. People would ask me, ‘are you a native New Zealander?’ Or ‘Are you a Māori?’. I always thought that was really weird, because being Māori wasn't a positive thing growing up.
I came back to go to university in Wellington. I didn't do well at school so it was quite scary to be suddenly going to university. I decided I wouldn't work for my first year, but that also meant that I was going to be really hard up for cash.
I found out about this accommodation called Whānau House. It's subsidized by the marae at uni, the catch is that you have to help out at the marae. I didn't really know what I was signing up for. There were 14 people living there, a range of ages. All of them were North Island Māori and spoke te reo to some extent. Suddenly being Māori was everywhere in my life, and it shocked me into seeing everything that I'd been missing out on. I spent a lot of time at the marae, and started to learn about te ao Māori.
I moved to Germany and for the first time ever, I got homesick. I couldn't figure out why, I'd never felt homesick for New Zealand before. And then I got pregnant, and I just said, I've gotta go home. I can't do this over here. I don't want my son growing up without his culture the way that I did. I didn't live in Christchurch for a really long time when I finally did come back, I had a baby. I was a pretty different person.
I started learning te reo when Thomas was four months old. and then the pandemic hit. We were in lockdown and I was doing all my classes online.
There were words that Dad used that I didn't realize were Māori until I started learning, which I think is quite funny. The first one I realized was a Māori word was pōtae - hat. And I was like, I know that word. Dad used that word my whole life!
We finished our first year, and we made lots of friends and kept in touch over the summer, so we didn’t lose what we've learnt over the year. We started trying to meet up at a cafe or for games nights so that we could practice using our te reo outside of the class.
That’s how Kōrero ki Ōtautahi became what it is. Initially it was just a group of friends. It's about supporting speakers and learners so that they can take what they've learned and put it into practice. We need more support for the intermediate people to push them into being fluent, and being confident, to be able to use it in everyday situations.
The ideal for me would be to see Christchurch as a bilingual city; you can just walk into any space and choose either English or te reo Māori. There's plenty of places around the world that are bilingual, and people switch between the two just casually.
In order for te reo to not just survive, but to thrive, we need everybody on board, whether you be Māori, Pākehā, tauiwi.”
Celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Māori - 15–19 September 2025
Secure your homes over summer
Police are reminding people to keep their homes secure during the summer months.
Inspector Glenda Barnaby, Christchurch Area Prevention manager, says daytime burglaries are just as common as nightime burglaries.
“Burglaries can be committed at any time of the day, and coming into warmer months there is more opportunity for thieves."
"Although a majority of burglaries involve forced entry through windows and doors, we are starting to see more incidents at insecure premises. Police deal with cases where burglaries are committed in broad daylight, sometimes even while the victim is at home. Good weather means open doors and windows, which makes homes more vulnerable to burglars.”
Inspector Barnaby says there’s a few things people can do to reduce their changes of a burglary being committed.
⚠️ If you’re going outside for gardening, relaxing in the sun, or working in the garage, take a moment to lock your doors and secure your windows first.
⚠️ Do the same at night when you go to bed - keep your doors and windows secure and close your curtains. Fitting window stays means you can get a breeze coming through, while keeping your windows secure.
⚠️ Get to know your neighbours - let them know if you’re going away and look out for one another.”
If you see any suspicious activity, people or vehicles in your neighbourhood, don't hesitate to contact Police.
If you witness or suspect any illegal activity, please call 111 if it is happening now, or make a report through 105 either online or over the phone, if it is after the fact.
Poll: Pedestrian access is being extended to the Ōtakaro Avon River - good idea?
Pedestrian access from one of Christchurch’s favourite streets is being extended all the way to the Ōtakaro Avon River. This new 12m-wide pathway will give you a direct, easy route from the street to the river promenade ... perfect for a stroll, a coffee run, or just soaking up the riverside vibes.
We want to know: In your view, what makes a city people-friendly?
What else should our urban areas be doing to support better community connections?
Curious about the full plans? You can check them out here.
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90.2% Yes
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9.8% No
Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.
Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔
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72.7% We work hard, we deserve a break!
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16.3% Hmm, maybe?
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11% Yes!
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