Maketuu Marae

Kaawhia moana, Kaawhia kai, Kaawhia taangata!

Rarau mau ki too taatou whare tuupuna a Auaukiterangi

Maketuu Marae is situated at the southern end of Kaawhia Harbour. It is significant to Waikato iwi as it is the resting place of Tainui Waka, on Te Ahurei, and is known as Te Tumu o Tainui – The Cradle of Tainui. The waka is marked by two sacred stone pillars: Hani-a-te-waewae-i-kimi-atu, named by Rakataaura, represents the warrior spirit and marks the bow of the waka. Hoturoa, placed the stern marker naming it Puna-whakatupu-tangata - the source or spring of mankind – representing female fertility. Women who wish to become pregnant are often told to touch this stone, a testament to its spiritual power. These are powerful iwi landmarks for the people of Tainui as they embody the mauri of the ancestral waka and are an “unbroken link to the past”