1. Hotunui - A special house

This house or whare has a name – Hotunui. He is a very important person of the tribe who owns this whare. The house is a representation of Hotunui. Look up at the carved face on the roof smiling out at you – this is Hotunui’s face. See the long sloping boards called maihi that come down from his face – these are his arms. And the amo, or posts at the end of his arms, are his legs.

Please take off your shoes – you are about to enter a special building. You might want to press pause on the audio while you do this.

Now you’re inside the house what do you see? Can you see bright shining eyes on the wall carvings? These carvings are called poupou and they are all family members of Hotunui.

Except for one. Count along five carvings on the left-hand side from the doorway. This carving is a marikihau or guardian called Ureia who looked after all the people in his iwi or tribe. Can you see his tail? And is that a fish at the end of his tongue?

Look at the carving to the right of Ureia – can you see words on it? This is the name of that ancestor.

Can you see the small carvings at the bottom of the big figures? These are children – can you find the carving that doesn’t have any children?

Have a wander around and look at the different carvings. What’s your favourite one?

It’s time to leave Hotunui. Go outside, take a moment to put your shoes back on and get ready for stop 2, the pātaka or storehouse. It’s the house on stilts to your right as you leave Hotunui.