---
title: Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou
description: Pepeha and whakataukī information specifically related to Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou for usage by descendants of the marae.
url: https://www.taiuru.co.nz/te-runanga-o-otakou/
markdown_url: https://www.taiuru.co.nz/te-runanga-o-otakou.md
type: post
slug: te-runanga-o-otakou
author: Karaitiana Taiuru
published: 2017-07-15T08:36:48Z
modified: 2026-10-18T06:24:04Z
language: en-NZ
taxonomies:
  category:
    - Ngāi Tahu
word_count: 602
tokens: 843
---

# Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou

Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou is one of 18 Papatipu Rūnanga across Te Waipounamu as seen in the resource. The takiwā centres on Ōtakou and extends from Purehurehu to Te Matau and inland, sharing an interest in the lakes and mountains to the western coast with Rūnanga to the North and to the South.

Pepeha

Maunga: Te Atua o Taiehu and Pukekura

Awa: Ōtākou

Whare: Tamatea

Wharekai: Hākuiao

Hapu: Te Ruahikihiki, Kāti Moki, Taoka, Kāi te Pahi

Iwi: Waitaha, Rapuwai, Kāti Hawea and Kāti Mamoe

Contact

Web site: http://www.otakourunaka.co.nz/

and https://www.facebook.com/Te-R%C5%ABnanga-o-%C5%8Ct%C4%81kou-304621652969763/

Contact:

Tamatea Rd, RD 2 Ōtākou

Phone: (03) 478 0352

Email: office@tro.org.nz

Google Map: here

Tauparapara

Written by Megan Ellison for the Wānaka we had at Sinclair Wetlands in July 2009. It is about our claim to Ōtākou’s rohe/area that extends through to Lake Wakatipu and includes the whakapapa of our ancestress Hā-ki-te-kura.

I ora ki te Takutai o te Raki

I hika i te Tara o te Marama

Waiho rātou hai pōri

Heke iho a Tukiauau

Ka tū a Whakaraupuka

Tērā a Tūwiriroa ki Motupara

Arā te taumata o Hā-ki-te-kura

Mahue mai a Korokiwhiti

E kā kuru tokarerewa

Hapetuakiwhiti

Tūokioki

Mau atu ki Maru kaitātea

Tarere ki whenua uta

Tau ana e!

 

Waiata

This waiata is appropriate to sing after a speech at a powhiri. It is a nice simple waiata that has recently had a tune put to it. It is a love/lust song! A wahine of Taiaroa’s refers to him as the flee who obviously has got under her skin.

This could be used for the loss of a loved one at a tangi, but there are more appropriate tangi songs in this repertoire of waiata. This is a good waiata to sing after a whaikōrero at Ōtākou or after one of our speakers.

 

Te tuiau, ki te katikati,

Te whakakekeu moe i a au,

Te whiuwhiu taku tatari,

Kei Parakiwitini,

E patu mai ra, Taiaroa,

I te Kakerangi,

E takaru ra,

Kei te moana.

Translation:

The flea , that frequently bites

and disturbs my sleep

as I flick it away

At Preservation Inlet

Taiaroa has gone, killing seals

splashing about in the sea

Waiata 2

Oriori – Te Whare o Te Ruahikihiki

This waiata/oriori was written by Tahu Potiki in 1994. It recites our whakapapa, battles and stories.

This waiata is appropriate to sing at a powhiri however the first up beat tune that was put to this waiata by Paulette Tamati-Elliffe and actions by Paulette and Lily Fraser would relegate the waiata to being sung at poroporoaki or for entertainment.

Ko te whare nei

Te Whare o Te Ruahikihiki

Hai wharekura mōhou e tama e

Ko kā waihuka o te awa Waitaki

Rere atu ki kā whakairo o Āraiteuru

Ki te tekoteko i whakatūria ai e Taoka

Ko Pukekura.

Whakaroko e hine

Tahuri o tarika ki te waha

Koi meatia he tipuna ūia koe

He poketara koe

Ko kā tīpuna e poupou ana

Ko Kurī

Ko Rakitawhiao

Ko Rakipāka

Ka puta mai a Mānawa i te Pūharakeke ki Pariwhakatau

Tātai rakatira mai i a Moki e

Nā te uruka whare ka mate a Tukitaharaki

“Kauraka tōku mate e kaki”

Purupuru te tarika a Kāpō

Ka toe a te taina nei

I te Makā Paruparu e

Rere atu te wharauka Kaue

I te parekura ki Rakiura

Riro mai ki Te Pahi

Ka moe i te Hākui o te Ao

Noho i te whare nei kā hua o Hawea

Te Mano o Rapuwai

Huri o konohi ki ōku mātua

Kai whea Huka Wehiwehi nei

Ko haere ki Paerau

Ū tou nei ki kā pukakaho

O te whare e – e