App a milestone in Paihia history
This year marks 200 years since the Church Missionary Society first put down roots in Paihia.
As part of the Paihia200 bicentennial celebrations, local iwi Ngāti Rahiri and Ngāti Kawa and the Paihia Historical Legacy Society have worked with Auckland-based creative technology studio Method to create a mobile app called tea Nuku Timewalk Paihia.
tea Nuku is an experiential walking tour that brings the history and legacy of Paihia to life through location-based AR, audio, animation, 360 video and text.
It opens a window to the past, a legacy trail that shares the unique stories of early cultural encounters in Paihia and the relationships fostered between the missionaries, their families and mana whenua.
Paihia holds an important place in the nation’s history, as the place where Māori and British missionaries and settlers held significant conversations about how they could co-exist and thrive together in the future.
Waitangi Marae chairman and Uri O Te Kemara (descendant of Te Kemara) Ngati Kawa Taituha said the legacy trail celebrates the bond between two cultures, which had been crucial to the signing of the 1835 Declaration of Independence and the ensuing Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ Treaty of Waitangi.
‘‘The bicentennial will be commemorated in a way that enhances the mana of everyone involved,’’ Taituha says. ‘‘What we can do is learn from the past to make a better future for Aotearoa, as intended through the visionary foresight of both Māori and the missionaries when Te Tiriti was drafted and signed.’’
Society chairperson Martin Williams says this app ‘‘is a significant milestone in preserving and sharing the early history of Paihia’’.
‘‘It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this project.’’
Users can access the stories by scanning QR codes through the app at 12 significant locations within easy walking distance of each other, including Te Tii Marae, the original Mission Village location, and Manukaihuia Hill, with views from the Paihia foreshore to historic Kororāreka.
It’s been a challenging project for Method, involving extensive curation of the written and oral histories of the area and regular location visits to work through the technical aspects.
Method launched the first augmented reality tour in Aotearoa for Ngati Whatua Orakei – an app that pushed the boundaries for Māori tourism, showcasing Bastion Point (Takaparawhau) in Auckland and the historical significance of the site.
‘‘Creating tea Nuku hasĀ been a remarkable journey,’’ says Method’s managing and creative director Sam Ramlu.
‘‘The stories of Paihia are important stories for all of Aotearoa, and we’ve loved being able to turn them into a beautiful, engaging and educational digital experience.’’
For¯moreonAinformation tea Nuku, visit timewalkpaihia.co. nz/ or download the app through the Apple or Google Play stores.
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