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Pā Harakeke opens at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush

It’s more than a botanical garden collection: Pā Harakeke, now open at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, represents a dedicated cultural resource for weavers. Linda Lee, Ōtari Raranga WeaversLily Yochay

Pā Harakeke contains a collection of flaxes from around the country, with varieties selected by traditional weaver and researcher, Rene Orchiston, which now form the Manaaki Whenua National Flax Collection. The flaxes were chosen for their special leaf and fibre properties, and include varieties for making kete, whāriki, piupiu and cloaks.

The concept of Ōtari’s Pā Harakeke began in 2019, when the flaxes were planted by then Team Leader Ōtari, Finn Michalak, with design input from the Ōtari Raranga Weavers.

Speaking at the official opening of the Pā, on November 9, Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush manager Tim Park said bringing people and plants together is the essence of a botanical garden.

‘These plants are able to be used, these are resources that can strengthen our cultural connections. We are really fortunate to have this collection, and to have the dedicated Linda Lee and Frank Topia, from Ōtari Raranga Weavers, to guide us.

‘We’ve decolonised the signs,’ he added, explaining that reo names had been used for each of the flaxes planted in the pā.

Tim also said he was keen for Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush to expand further into the fields of Mātauranga Māori and develop further plant collections and resources for traditional and cultural use.

Pā HarakekeAlong with Ōtari Raranga Weavers, a strong contingent of Pito-one based weavers, from Te Rōpū Raranga o Manaia supported the opening with karakia and tautoko waiata.

Following the formalities, people took part in a hauhake (harvest) of the harakeke, with Linda Lee explaining the harvesting protocols. Some of the harvest was put to

immediate good use at a raranga wananga (weaving lesson) hosted by Ōtari Raranga Weavers.

Posted: 11 December 2023

Welcome to our new Rātā Shrine

Some visitors have been wondering about a structure that’s appeared discreetly in the Ōtari epiphyte garden. We can tell you now it is a ‘rātā shrine’, and it’s quite a story. Designer Adam Ellis works in creative fields; industrial product design and urban public gardens, integrating designed structural elements within lived landscapes (see pollen.net.nz). He also loves rātā. Years ago, supported by the then Ōtari supervisor Anita Benbrook, Adam volunteered at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush. He said he learned so much he wanted to ‘give back’, so recently approached manager Tim Park with an idea to design a ‘living structure’ that celebrates rātā. He’s built a few other iterations around the country but none like this one. True to Ōtari’s ethos of celebrating and protecting rare native plants, this new structure features the white-flowering rātā moehau (Bartlett’s rātā, Metrosideros barlettii), which is close to extinction. Only 13 plants remain in the wild, in the Far North. Most rātā begin life as epiphytes and some grow into trees. This new tripod-shaped structure is designed to rot away over time and its supports are filled with sphagnum that will host tendrils reaching to the ground from the rātā planted at the top. It will take many years, but eventually, all going well, the plant at the top will become a self-supporting tree. We are grateful for Adam’s creative inspiration, to Ōtari staff who enabled the project, and especially for the generosity of John Randall, who funded the project as a living memorial to his late wife Robin, daughter of noted botanist, photographer and Ōtari supporter, Olaf John.

In fact, we are blessed with two flowering Rātā moehau trees in Ōtari, both grown from cuttings of the same wild individual from the Far North.

Posted: 21 October 2023

A Successful Open Day 2023

A keen wind didn’t deter keen locals from our annual Rā Tūwhera ki Ōtari | Ōtari Open Day.

Acording to Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush manager, Tim Park, it was the busiest visitor day for the whole year and twice as busy as on Open Day 2022.

There was a lot going on. A small-scale plant sale included specialties propagated by our very own, new Trust nursery.

Talks and guided walks enlightened visitors about the key role Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush plays in native plant conservation and supporting the thriving native bird populations of Wellington.

Key people were there, from RAMBO, Ōtari’s own predator control group, Capital Kiwi, Animal Services (keeping kiwi and other birds safe from dogs), Porirua Nursery, Zealandia and Kia Mouriora te Kaiwharawhara Sanctuary to Sea, Ōtari Raranga Weavers, Rongoā (traditional health) and Open Lab, for the kids.

Everyone, including ‘big kids’, had a ton of fun playing games on the Cockayne Lawn with the health and wellbeing team from Tū Mātau Ora.

The Trust’s own cakes and preserves stall, cards and book sales, and raffles (thanks heaps to prize donors Melissa Boardman, Judi Lapsley Miller and Garage Project),

helped keep up the lively vibe. Thanks for coming everyone!

Posted: 21 October 2023