Waikato Pilgrimage Series
Significant Beginnings: Past and Present
This pilgrimage will be the first of a number of pilgrimages into the Waikato planned in 2024 and 2025. Each of the series will seek to help people bear witness to some of the events around the Waikato Wars. The final one is planned for Saturday 18th October 2025 and will look at the life of Wiremu Tamehana.
From Māngere Bridge to Ihumātao
9am - 4pm Saturday 9th November - 2024
Bookings are now closed
We will meet at St James Anglican Church ( *if possible at 8.45am), in Māngere Bridge. Mark Barnard CEO of Karuwhā and present vicar, will share stories of significant friendships which led to the building, by tangata whenua in the 1850's, of this unique stone church known as St James.
*Please be there if possible by 8.45am to have a chance to view the surroundings before we gather in the church to hear from Mark Barnard.
After morning tea we embark on a four hour walk, starting up Māngere mountain by looking at Kingi Tāwhiao’s cottage and hearing more of his life, work and wisdom from Stan Thorburn ( Tainui ). We will then have some reflection time walking to and around the extraordinary Ōtuataua stonefields which were once highly productive gardens for local Māori who were forcibly evicted on Saturday 10th July 1863.
Then we will be privileged to be greeted by Mana Whenua from Ihumātao who will tell us the stories of more recent battles to hold on to ancestral land nearby.
We will return by cars to Māngere Bridge for reflection and refreshments at the Gaff Cafe to end the day around 4pm.
What to bring:
Bring a packed lunch, water and both wet weather gear and a hat. An umbrella also, is a useful accessory for either intense sun or rain. We will be walking regardless of the weather but there are places to shelter on the route.
KOHA:
Please be prepared to offer a koha to both our hosts/speakers for this pilgrimage. There are 2 different groups hosting us and a minimum of $30 per person should cover this. If there is financial hardship $20 is acceptable. This should be organised before we start the walk, ideally the night before. It is usually easier for everyone if you can give an identifiable, named koha by bank transfer to:
ANZ Pilgrim 06-0284-0075943-20
Please contact us by email: info@pilgrimagesaotearoa.nz if you have any questions or comments.
What to Expect
A Guided Journey
Our pilgrimages are led by experienced walkers who know the terrain. There are signposts along the way. You do not walk alone and others have gone before. It is a led walk, so you can put aside the worries of finding your way or keeping the time and concentrate on the moment that is right in front of you.
Food and Friendship
The spaciousness of walking and talking allows for new friendships, deeper conversations. It is a great pleasure to prepare and share a good meal together after a day of physical exertion. Planning and friendships begin on a pre-pilgrimage zoom meeting, where you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get to know your fellow pilgrims.
Who Can Come?
Anybody with a moderate to advanced level of fitness who is able to cope with the physical demands of the walk. Pilgrimage is an inclusive spiritual practice – open to anyone who wants to walk to connect with themselves, the land, other people. The spiritual dimension of life - our soul terrain - often emerges in a natural, organic way as we walk and talk together. You are free to simply be yourself.
Landscapes
Usually the routes that we are following are a beautiful contrast of coastal tracks and inland landscapes. However they are sometimes urban and even industrial and heavily populated, . The variety of terrain is all part of pilgrimage. We often make use of the Te Araroa Trail, a trail that runs the whole length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga to the Bluff. We recommend this trail if you are organising your own pilgrimage journey
Costs
We are a not-for-profit group. and the leaders are volunteers.
If the pilgrimage requires accommodation - estimate: $120 - $250 per person, per pilgrimage depending on whether we are making a one or two night stay. We usually prepare and share dinners together but occasionally have to cover that expense. We generally have BYO breakfast and lunch.
Also, plan to contribute to a koha for mana whenua speakers.
Mana Whenua
We invite you to take the posture of the pilgrim; reflective, and considerate, about the people who belong to the land we are exploring. As we walk we become more aware of the stories of the land and the people who have inhabited it over both the pre-settler time and more recently. We make every effort to have local people/mana whenua share with us some of their stories of the land they have always called home.
