Te Tauwhanga ā Reipae book explains the legend behind the naming of Whangārei

Northland author Meryl Carter has published Te Tauwhanga ā Reipae, which explains the origins of the naming of Whangārei.

The book contains a waiata (song) entitled Reipae recorded with funding obtained from Whangārei District Council’s Creative Communities Fund.

Meryl Carter, a former teacher, planned the book for 20 years and told media she couldn’t find a similar resource, so she worked with her whanau to form Taimania​ Productions and create the book and the waiata.

Te Tauwhanga a Reipae translates as The Waiting Place of Reipae. It references the legend of Reipae waiting near Manaia for her two brothers and meeting Tahuhu Pōtiki.

Credit to Whangarei literary zine ‘Taking Flight’ which for years acknowledged the origins of Whangarei’s name (Te Tauwhanga a Reipae means The Waiting Place of Reipae… before she took flight).

Te Tauwhanga ā Reipae is illustrated by Adrian Hill and Taimania Toia and was funded by the Māori Language Commission.

ISBN 9780473414306

Buy it from: http://aotearoabooks.co.nz/te-tauwhanga-a-reipae/

ps – Sorry that Write Up North is publishing this two after the book was launched. Better late than never…