Ā mātou kōrero

  When my Dad speaks of Nelson, there is always a wistful lilt to his voice – as he reflects on “the greatest school in New Zealand” (Nelson College); the world-leading Nelsonian who split the atom (Ernest Rutherford) and the…

   Ngā mihi o te raumati! One of my favourite holiday shots was my mokopuna and son, climbing the stairs at the Picton War Memorial that overlooks Tōtaranui.   The stark white façade of the war memorial set against the…

  The shimmering waters of Te Waipounamu are the perfect metaphor for Whānau Ora in the south.   Some of the lakes that glisten and shine the most are often hidden out of full public view. But just because they…

  E tāku huinga kahurangi, kua kōhaki, kua whānako atu rā i te hūnga a Whakaari, mōu te tai ata, mōku te tai pō. Ka whati rā ia tāku māhuri tōtara, auē auē auē. Tīhaehae te tarauma, he tangata whakarongo…

  Out there beyond the horizon, your dreams await you….. Last week I had the honour of travelling with a group of Tahitian paddlers, to visit the site of connection to their own ancestral journeys, based at Te Pokohiwi o…

  The other day one of our team was on a walk in the journey between Springs Junction and Reefton when a very impressive kōhatu appeared to her.   She had been so busy stepping over signs that told her…

Media Release 20 November 2019 Tā Mark Solomon, Chair of the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency in the South Island wants assurances for whānau around cannabis reform to address the disproportionate harm rates to Māori. This follows the launch of the…

Media Release 20 October 2019 Tā Mark Solomon, Chair of Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency in the South Island has congratulated Whānau Ora enterprise Koha Kai who was honoured for their Lunches in Schools programme at the national Māori Women’s Business…

Three years on, we reflect on the 7.8 magnitude Kaikoura earthquake that devastated the North Canterbury and Marlborough regions, shattering the environment and the lives of many whānau and families.   Those in farming and fishing industries were deeply affected and…

  – Aesop This week there was some inexplicable tension in the workplace.   Secrets kept tight. Emails from which I was excluded. The feeling that somehow, somewhere, something was happening which I wasn’t fully aware of. I like to…