Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou

17/09/2026

He taoka tuku iho!! 🥰

18/08/2026

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
Kua taki te koukou o te ruru.
Kua riro atu rā tētahi i te rika kaha o aituā.
Ka tū te rāhui, ā, ka rere kā tai o aroha ki te whānau i tēnei wā pōuri.

This is to respectfully advise that Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou has now placed a rāhui (a temporary closure) out of respect for a tūpāpaku (body) found and retrieved from the beach south of Lawyers Head, on the Otago coast.

The rāhui covers the currents and tidal movements between Lawyers head along the beach to the esplanade at St Clair lifting at Wednesday 19th august at 3.30pm
Please network to the public, your whānau/family, friends, and contacts, including seafood gatherers, fishers, commercial fishers and divers

Ka mihi
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou

24/07/2026

Te Pae Māhuri (Otepoti Māori Youth Collective supported through He Waka Kōtuia) is running another Kura Reo for rakatahi. Awesome opportunity for rakatahi to learn some reo & mātauraka about our taiao. No experience necessary - for absolute beginners through to fluent speakers.

Te Pae Māhuri represents Kura Reo Hōtoke 2026

Spaces are limited so register your interest using either the QR code or link below
https://forms.gle/W3MGtxjmqu6imbtk9

15/06/2026

E piki ana te māramataka o Matariki ki te raki, ā, he wā tēnei kia whakakotahi anō tātou hei hapū, hei whānau. E karaka ana mātou ki a koutou katoa kia tae mai ki tā tātou Wānaka-ā-hapū.

He wā whakawhanaukataka, he wā mahi toi, he wā whakamaumahara.

As the stars of Matariki rise once again, we enter a time of reflection, remembrance, celebration and looking to the future. We warmly invite whānau to gather for our Matariki Wānaka, a space to connect.

On Saturday 11th July, we will move into Waiata wānaka to prepare for the upcoming Te Atakura at Hui-ā-Iwi 2026 ki Taumutu.

Rehitia mai
https://forms.gle/8NYhj13frdMwGAGZ9

02/06/2026

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

Are you someone that epitomises manaaki, loves diving into planning detail, and revels in working within a vibrant, busy, and diverse environment? Are you driven by a deep sense of community service?

Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou (TRO) is looking for a Principal Advisor-Projects to support our rūnaka in its day-to-day operations and projects.

Based in a stunning setting on the Otago Peninsula, the Principal Advisor-Projects is responsible for creating a project management framework and overseeing the delivery of specialised projects. It will be supporting the mahi of the rūnaka and its various kōmiti.
The role is very diverse, ranging from the detail of project delivery, working directly with whānau, through to managing relationships and projects on behalf of TRO.

You will be experienced with planning and leading project delivery and an excellent communicator with an ability to keep TRO’s big picture front of mind across all aspects of the work you do. If you do not already possess at least an advanced beginner level of te reo Māori and a practical knowledge of tikanga, you will be committed to developing these skills.

If this describes you and the idea of a diverse role working with a wide range of people excites you, please contact us for an application pack on 03 4780352 or by emailing [email protected]

Applications close 5pm Wednesday 17th June 2026.

Lead projects and provide strategic advice across Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou.

02/06/2026

Kia ora e te whānau,

We’re calling on all rakatahi to help shape an exciting new Rakatahi Social Group alongside Puketeraki Rūnaka. Your voice matters, and we want to hear your whakaaro to make sure this space reflects what you want and need.

If you’re 11–18 years old and a uri of Ōtākou or Puketeraki, this quick survey is your chance to help shape a rōpū created for you, by you. 🌿

Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey below – your feedback will help guide how this group is created and runs.
Survey Link: https://forms.gle/ACt5rDhVWLuF4TgA6

We’re excited to see how this kaupapa grows and can’t wait to bring it to life with you all.🩷

19/05/2026

E te whānau, e kā uri o Ōtākou, nau mai ki Te Pātaka Kōrero.

Te Pātaka Kōrero is our rebranded Kai Night, and is a space for all hapū members and whānau, a time for whānau to gather, share kōrero, and enjoy time together. At times we will share specific kaupapa that may be of interest, at other times it is simply a space for whanaukataka.

Held every month, Te Pātaka Kōrero (and previous as Kai night) has become a regular and valued part of our Ōtākou event calendar, offering opportunity for whānau to connect with others, engage with Rūnaka Kaimahi and sit in the warmth of Hākuiao.

This month’s Te Pātaka, is on Wednesday 23rd May, 6pm.

Please RSVP through the Facebook event here, or by contacting the Office on 03 4780 352 or [email protected]

Nau mai, hoki mai

29/04/2026

Recently, mana whenua opened Aonui, the new Otago Regional Council headquarters, with a pre-dawn whakawātea – blessing and clearing the building so it can be ready for public use.

Underpinned by narratives and values from Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou, the cultural design of this building tells layered stories of people, place, and te ao tūroa – from the rhythms of tai timu, tai pari, the ebb and flow of the tides, to the Toitū awa that once ran openly through Ōtepoti, and the site of a taurakawaka, where Kāi Tahu tīpuna hauled up their waka to undertake their intergenerational cultural practices of mahika kai.

“It is significant for Kāi Tahu descendants to see their identity woven through the city and streetscapes, and heartwarming to see organisations like the Otago Regional Council embracing our narratives and values into the building design,” Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou Upoko Edward Ellison says.

A huge mihi to Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou for your guidance, trust and rakatirataka to embed your values and narratives into the design integration, and to the Otago Regional Council for embracing these values and narratives.
And to Kāi Tahu artists Ephraim Russell, Kate Stevens West, James York, Steve Solomon Down South Whakairo, Madison Kelly and Mya Morrison Middleton, he mihi nunui ki a koutou – the outcome is stunning.

🎥 Maxwell Productions

Te Rūnanga o Moeraki Kāti Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki Hokonui Runanga Inc Waihōpai Rūnaka Te Runaka o Awarua Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

19/04/2026

Me mihi ka tika ki a koutou kā rika raupā i te kaupapa nei! Katrina Pōtiki Bryant Congratulations to our Taurite Tū champions across the motu. Ko koutou a ruka! 🙌🏽

03/03/2026

Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou is pleased to announce new appointments. Paulette Tamati-Elliffe will serve as Interim Chair until the rūnaka AGM in November, and Nadia Wesley-Smith will step into the role of Chief Executive Officer, bringing strong governance, strategy, and partnership experience to guide the rūnaka into its next chapter.

Interim Kaiwhakahaere/Chair – Paulette Tamati-Elliffe
Paulette Tamati-Elliffe (Kāi Te Pahi, Kāi Te Ruahikihiki (Ōtākou), Te Ātiawa, Ngāti Mutunga) has been appointed Interim Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou and will serve in this role until the rūnaka AGM in November.

Paulette brings more than twenty years of leadership in te reo Māori revitalisation. She has been involved with Kotahi Mano Kāika since its launch in 2000 and went on to lead the Ngāi Tahu tribal strategy focused on restoring te reo Māori as a living language in homes and communities. She and her partner have intentionally raised their tamariki in te reo Māori, a commitment that now continues with their mokopuna.

A graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo, Paulette also has extensive governance experience. She represents Ngāi Tahu on the New Zealand Geographic Board and has completed two terms as the Te Tai Tonga māngai on Te Mātāwai, National Māori Language Board. She also serves in a range of Māori advisory roles across the Otago region. Grounded in whakapapa, tikaka and whānau wellbeing, Paulette brings steady, values-based leadership to the role, ensuring the aspirations of Ōtākou continue to be upheld with integrity and mana.

Chief Executive Officer – Nadia Wesley-Smith
Nadia (Kāti Taoka, Kāi Te Pahi, Kāi Te Ruahikihiki) grew up on the kāik at Ōtākou, grounded in her Ōtākou-taka and raised amongst generations of whānau.
After building a management career in tourism and hospitality across Australia and Scotland, and later living between Tāhuna and Te Ana-au, Nadia returned home in 2021 with her partner and tamariki. She served as Rūnaka Manager from 2021 to November 2023, leading organisational development and key community initiatives. Elected Rūnaka Chair for the 2023–2026 term, she most recently worked at the Dunedin City Council as Manager, Corporate Policy, and is a Ngāi Tahu representative on the Sustainable Destinations - Piopiotahi Programme Board.

Now as CEO, Nadia returns to serve her hapū and whānau, bringing business analysis, governance, strategy, and partnership experience to lead Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou into its next chapter. Nadia commences her role on Monday 9th March.