Cultural Narrative

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park Trust acknowledges Ngāti Kahungunu as mana whenua and the ancestral kaitiaki of the Heretaunga region. We are privileged to operate within your rohe and to walk alongside your hapū and marae as partners in this kaupapa.

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park Trust is honoured to have been gifted a cultural narrative developed in close partnership with mana whenua, local hapū, and iwi representatives. This taonga (treasure) will serve as a guiding foundation for how we design, develop, and operate our park — a deep and enduring commitment to recognising the stories, identity and mana of this place.

A central element of this narrative is the story of Te Awa o Mokotūāraro (the Ngaruroro River), once a lifeline and highway through the Heretaunga Plains, and the ancestral spine that runs beneath our whenua. Though its physical path has shifted, the river’s significance endures. It has nourished countless generations through its mahinga kai, and continues to hold deep spiritual and cultural importance for hapū including Ngāti Hori, Ngāti Hawea, Ngāti Rahunga-i-te-Rangi, and others.

The park sits atop the former course of this river, with nearby marae such as Kohupātiki, Waipatu, Matahiwi, Ruahāpia, and many more holding strong whakapapa and ties to this landscape. These marae are living repositories of kōrero tuku iho (stories passed down), of tūpuna who shaped the region and cared for its lands and waters.

We also honour the ancestor Rongokako, son of Tamatea Arikinui of the Tākitimu waka, whose feats of endurance, speed, and strength are legendary. Towering over eight feet tall, Rongokako was known for leaping vast distances across land and sea, navigating challenging terrain in single bounds. His agility and stamina were tested in a famed race for the hand of Muriwhenua, a northern princess. His journey took him across mountains and rivers, with legendary leaps landing him on Te Mata Peak, Cape Kidnappers, and the Mahia Peninsula. Each marae tells their own version of his exploits, reflecting a shared truth: that Rongokako embodies limitless potential, and his legacy challenges us all to awaken the "sleeping giant" within.

“Heretaunga Ararau, Heretaunga Haukūnui, Heretaunga Hārō Te Kāhu, Heretaunga Takoto-noa” – (Heretaunga of arcadian pathways; Heretaunga of life-giving dew; Heretaunga the beauty of which can only be appreciated by the eyes of a hawk in full flight; Heretaunga from whence the chiefs have departed and only we the servants remain.)

This deeply layered proverb captures the essence of Heretaunga as a place of abundance, connection, and heritage. The “arcadian pathways” speak not just to the geographical trails and waterways that crisscross the region, but also to the diverse whakapapa, relationships, and journeys of its people. The “life-giving dew” evokes the fertility and sustenance of the land, while the hawk’s perspective — “Hārō Te Kāhu” — reminds us to take in the full scope of our environment with clarity and care. “Heretaunga Takoto-noa” speaks to the ancestral responsibility to protect and honour what has been handed down. The whakataukī binds people to place, recognising that identity, wellbeing, and belonging are inseparable from the whenua itself.

This cultural narrative is a taonga that we are embedding into all that we do. It was created through a process of extensive consultation from September 2024 to January 2025, with workshops, hui, and wānanga across Heretaunga. Our sincere thanks go to Thompson Hokianga  and Melanie Taite-Pitama of Hāni Solutions Ltd and for their leadership, engagement with mana whenua and guiding the creation of this document with integrity and care.

Nō reira, tēnei te mihi — we are proud to acknowledge this narrative publicly and embed its values into our park's ongoing journey.

If you have any questions or would like any further information around the Cultural Narrative please get in contact.