Hoe Tonga’s Board is pleased to announce our new Regional Development Officer:
Megan Qaranivalu.

Megan is based in Otaki, and is also an active member of Otaki Waka Hoe. She says: “Over the last six years I have fallen in love with waka ama and its lifestyle. I am enthusiastic, passionate and excited about the potential of Waka Ama in the region and the possibility of further growth.” 

She is looking forward to working with existing clubs, school co-ordinators and the different communities throughout the Hoe Tonga region to see how we as a collective can work together to achieve access to more programmes, development opportunities and the formations of new clubs in underserviced areas. 

Click on the photo below to view a selection of photos, courtesy of Terry Harkin, from our Regionals last weekend:

In addition, College Sport Wellington also had photographers on site, you can view and download those photos at https://collegesport.org.nz/envira/2021-waka-ama-sprint-champs/.

Congratulations to all the schools and paddlers that competed this year.

Last year, we had 45 teams competing across the various divisions, a record since we started this event. We easily surpassed this in this year’s event, with 59 teams competing, from across 22 schools. We had over 350 paddlers on the water!

A massive thank you to all the volunteers that helped run this event, to College Sport Wellington and David Fatatafa for collaborating with us to deliver this event, and our many supporters and sponsors, such as Porirua City Council (rubbish collection), Hutt City Council (hydration station), and Terry Harkin (photography).

We again also had two awards up for grabs.

Our School Excellence Award recognises the school that accumulates the most points across all races, with 4 points for each first place in Championship Finals, 3 points for a second place, 2 points for a third place, and 1 point for a fourth place. Unfortunately, due to a computer mishap, we announced the wrong winner on the day. We apologise for this. The winner this year was Te Kura Maori o Porirua, with 31 points, followed by Manukura (from Palmerston North) with 27 points, and in third place was Te Kura a iwi Whakatupuranga Rua Mano (from Otaki) with 24 points.

Our School Spirit Award is given to the school that contributes the most towards the atmosphere and event delivery, and key volunteers are judging schools on their contribution. This year’s winner of this award was Wellington East Girls College.

Check out the the full results here. Good luck to all teams that are heading to the Secondary School Waka Ama Nationals in Rotorua next week.

Finally, look out for awesome event photos to be made available over the next few days on this site.

A finalised schedule and lane draw has now been made available. For more information, please go to our race notice.

At this stage, the weather forecast is for a light south-easterly, about 12 knots, so race conditions are looking good at this stage.

On race day, please ensure that all paddlers and supporters sign in via the COVID-19 QR code available at the admin tent.

Finally, all race results will be available live at www.liveresults.co.nz. This will be the fastest way for paddlers and supporters to find out their results and relevant progressions. Printed results will also be available near the admin tent.

Go to our race notice for more information.

The Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Certificate in Waka Level 4 programme is delivered within the Hoe Tonga region in Masterton under the leadership of our very own Paddy Rimene.

Join in the “Waka, a way of life” and commence your journey today!

You will learn about:

• Māori nautical history
• traditional and contemporary waka
• waka construction
• weather interpretation
• Coastguard Boating Education Day Skipper qualification
• tikanga, karakia and waiata
• water survival competency
• event management
• health and nutrition
• And much more

All guided by the expertise of an Elite Waka Ama Paddler.

To secure your seat in the Waka for March 2021, contact Paddy today on 0800-355553 or email Patrick.rimene@twoa.ac.nz.

As part of the implementation of the Aukaha Project, a project designed to strengthen Waka Ama in Aotearoa, Waka Ama NZ, in collaboration with the Hoe Tonga Pacifica Waka Ama Association is seeking a talented and motivated individual to join the team as Regional Development Coordinator for the Hoe Tonga region. 

Based in the Hoe Tonga region, as Regional Development Coordinator, you will drive and facilitate the growth and development of Waka Ama in the region. You will also coordinate the planning and delivery of the Regional Qualifying Event and other targeted events alongside Hoe Tonga Board.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Drive the implementation of the Regional plan in collaboration with the Hoe Tonga Board.
• Build relationships with member clubs, identifying key points of contact and gathering insights on competencies, strengths, challenges, and areas for development.
• Facilitate the development and capabilities of volunteers.
• Establish and promote opportunities for volunteer recruitment and retention.
• Facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among clubs and stakeholders.
• Develop and implement communication and marketing strategies to increase awareness and profile of Waka Ama in the region.
• Drive participation opportunities with stakeholders.
• Coordinate the planning and delivery of the Regional Qualifying Event and other key events, exploring event partnership and funding opportunities.
• Manage and develop existing and new stakeholder relationships that will enhance Waka Ama in the region.

As the successful candidate, you will have:

• Knowledge and experience in the sport and recreation sector, with an understanding of club and school sport.
• Experience in sport development and event management.
• Proven project management, stakeholder relationship, and strategy implementation experience.
• Strong communication and project management skills.
• Workshop facilitation and leadership skills.
• Empathy with and the ability to engage volunteers.
• The ability to create and unlock opportunities for Waka Ama to thrive in the region.
• Proven ability and experience using te reo, tikanga, and te ao Māori concepts.
• Clean New Zealand Driver’s license and reliable transport.
• The ability to work after hours and weekends as required.

Benefits:

• Work from home 
• Flexible working hours (20 hrs per week)
• Mobile phone + laptop
• Staff apparel
• Supportive organisation

About us:

Waka Ama NZ is the leading body of the Sport of Waka Ama in Aotearoa. We have a rich history and connection to tangata whenua and foster the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have a small and tight knit team who are passionate about water, community, our sport and the people we work with. 

Our organisational values are:

• Manaakitanga: We encourage the practice of reciprocity through sharing of ourselves and our resources, nurturing all people and accepting our differences. 
• Whanaungatanga: Our sense of belonging, identification and collective strength, not only through kinship but being related to all within the Waka Ama community. 
• Hauora: We support and promote the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of all our participants. 
• Tū Tangata: We are accountable for our actions. We have respect for each other, our waka and our environment. We stand proud in our integrity and passion.

We pride ourselves on our supportive and collaborative team culture, and we are looking for someone who shares our values and is committed to the development of Waka Ama in this region.

For more information and a copy of the Job Description, please contact Aukaha Project Manager, Trevor Meiklejohn, at trevor@wakaama.co.nz

Applications close on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Please see the link below for the W1 500m ranking in each division. The highlighted names have sealed a confirmed quota spot at the National Sprints. The next two fastest in each division will be added to the waitlist so keep training just in case if you just missed out.

W1 Quota Rankings.

We would also like to announce the Regional W12 who will be representing Hoe Tonga at the Waka Ama National Sprint 2021.

Hoe Tonga Wahine

1. Megan Gardiner
2. Steph Gardiner
3. Ngahuia Henara
4. Brittany Marquet
5. Amiria Salzmann
6. Kawai Winiata
7. Marama Elkington
8. Te Rangihuia Henare
9. Rachel Kingi
10. Ka Awatea Paul
11. Kyra Mita
12. Hitira’a Tahau Hodges

Hoe Tonga Tane

1. Turi Hodges
2. Koroiti Tuiau Tongia
3. Dom Scahill
4. Parekoihu Taiapa
5. Pa Taikato
6. Eric Waterson
7. Tremaine Rimene-Albrett
8. Joern Scherzer
9. Joe Nuku
10. Hoani Akavi
11. Nathaniel Cashell
12. Wairehu Toman

Congratulations to all those selected. Keep training hard and see you all the the Nationals.