HUA Rangatahi

22/10/2025

There’s a cold truth in the Far North right now ❄️

It’s got nothing to do with elite Māori 🫢 or making your vote count. Step back ten paces, maybe a hundred, maybe a thousand. Sometimes it feels like we’re not even living in the same communities, even though we see the results every.single.day.

💀 M**h and other Class A drugs are eating our people alive. The impact hits in every direction ...kids, parents, kaumātua, kaimahi. It’s grief, fatigue, anger, stripped of humanity and dignity.

What that means for HUA Rangatahi 🧭
We know we’re not a fix-all. We’ve been figuring out how our kaupapa can still be like an anchor when everything around us feels like it’s flying apart. We’ve taken time to breathe, to reflect, and to refocus.

Our Refocus 🎯
HUA Rangatahi is for rangatahi not in employment, education, or further training, or at risk of falling through those cracks. Those are our kids. That’s who we’re giving 100% to.

Activating the Front Line ⚡
Our free youth gym is unfunded. The boxing gloves, kai, our people …it’s all our aroha mahi. We’re working out how to keep doing that in a way that lasts.

Plugging Back into Systems, on Our Terms 🤝
We have a social worker / mental health clinician / addictions counsellor available. She's there to kōrero with our rangatahi, no referral required and no red tape.

Pressure-Testing What’s Not Working 🔍
Our rangatahi crew are starting a kaupapa to map every funded provider in Kaitaia and nearby, who’s doing what, where, and for how many. These young one's want clarity. For the tea, I guess keep watching this space 😝

Staying Relational, Not Reactional ❤️‍🔥
These drugs feed off isolation. Every time we reconnect a rangatahi to a kaupapa or a caring adult, we're hoping to break that cycle just a little bit. So our focus stays simple, one rangatahi at a time, knowing we’re here, we’re not going away, and we want what’s best for them.

09/10/2025

⚡ DAY 4 | MAURI NEKE | SHIFT THE SHETERE 💩🤣

🔥 There’s a lot going on. Every. Single. Day. The grind hits. The struggle is real. Pressure builds. The wairua can be ALL OVER THE SHOW.

So how we move things through can really make the difference 💨

At HUA Rangatahi, we find ways to shift the shetere lol 💩🤣 through 🎶 music, 🎤 karaoke, 🗣️ mauri tau talks, or just feeling like we're part of something bigger and better.

When our mauri is taumaha/heavy, the key is to move our mindset.

🧘‍♀️ Get up. 🚶‍♂️ Walk. 💪 Lift. 🤣 Laugh. 🌊 Sing to the ocean or 🏔️ climb up a hill and let out that primal scream... RAAAARRHHH lol.

✨ Mauri Neke reminds us our wairua might not be stuck, sometimes our minds are. Let those thoughts move. Let them go. Send them out into the universe 🌌

Shift the shetere 💩 dwelling in it too long is no good for anyone 👎

💪 HUA Rangatahi

07/10/2025

🌿 DAY 3 | MAURI TAU | WORKING ON THAT NO PRESSURE ZONE WITHIN 🔥

Mauri Tau is about balance, settling oneself 🌬️

The thing is here in Kaitaia, for our young people, we need rangatahi-dedicated kaupapa and places so theres space and opportunity to do these things 🥰

That's why HUA Rangatahi tautoko the call for Far North District Council to rethink the proposed demolition of the Old Warehouse building, so it can be transformed into a purpose-built facility for our rangatahi 🫰

We wrote a response to a hui being organised about this kaupapa (hui is on this Thursday, 5.30pm at Te Ahu Centre), because in settling our own mauri we have the means to advocate for the needs of our rangatahi, who we know are crying out for places like these.

06/10/2025

🌬️ DAY 2 of Mental Health Awareness Week: HĀ ORA | IT'S ALL ABOUT THE BREATHING! 🌿

Lots of us forget because we do it automatically, but being conscious and deliberate with our breathing helps bring the pressure down 🌬️⬇️😮‍💨

At HUA Rangatahi, we’re about that No / Low Pressure Zone 😌 a state of mind where we can reset, find our zen, and breathe.

Day 2 and today we’re tuning into Hā Ora, the breath of life. Tihei wā mauriora! 🌫️

When the pressure is getting up there. Taihoa. Tango Hā. P**a Hā. Step back/wait a bit. Breathe in... and breathe it out 🌿

**aHā

06/10/2025

🌬️ FINDING THAT NO PRESSURE ZONE WITHIN 🌧️
This week we’re dropping the pressure. Mental Health Awareness Week might call it wellbeing, but for us, it’s about hau ...our breath, our mauri, our flow.

At HUA, we like to think of our space as a Low Pressure Zone 😎
A place where you can find calm in the middle of your own storm.

Each day this week we’ll drop a kupu from our hauora series:
🌪️ Whakawātea / Clear the space
💨 Hā Ora / Breathe life
🔥 Mauri Tau / Settle the spirit
⚡ Mauri Neke / Shift the energy
🌈 Whakawhanaunga / Build connection

Because pressure builds out there, but clearing it starts within.

So for DAY 1 🌪️ Whakawātea: Clear the space
Sometimes the world piles on pressure. At HUA, we like to park that pressure up through being able to 💪 Activate, 💬 Talk, 🎨 Create, 🌿 Breathe, whatever works!

Whakawātea is about making space for that no pressure zone within us 🌬️

AND ALSO just a heads up... we might be open on and off this week while a few of us are down and out with the flu 🤧 Appreciate everyone’s patience while we cough, splutter, and heal up. Even kaimahi need a low pressure zone sometimes 🫣

And with all this 🌧️ rain, 💨 wind, then ☀️ blue skies LOL it feels like the weather’s in on the kaupapa too. Must be some messages connected with all that too, e hoa mā 🤔

💚 HUA Rangatahi

20/09/2025

And that’s a wrap for the term and te wiki o te reo Māori 🫆 we’ve done some pretty amazing things over the last 10 weeks, and had some good learnings as well 🙌🏼 so life at HUA Rangatahi has been sweet as 🥰

As per usual too, the hub will be closed over the school holidays for maintenance …but do keep an eye out for some pop up hours now and then 🥳 I know some of you karaoke queens and kings will be anyway 😂 🎼🎤 and all you gym regulars 🥊

Also, sending a big shout out to Kaya Tecklenburg for making the Northern Swords U16s rep squad that are off this weekend to play in the NZRL Youth Nationals starting Monday down in Ōtautahi Christchurch …geddit Kaya!! 🥇

14/09/2025

Kia ora e te whānau 🌿
Kei te whakanui mātou i Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 🗣️🔥

HUA Rangatahi have a stacked week of kaupapa and activities for our rangatahi 🎶🎨💬
Kōrero Māori, come through, get involved, and back the reo!

📌 Check out the poster for all the info 👇

09/09/2025

Today is World Su***de Prevention Day ❤️
This year’s theme is "Changing the Narrative on Su***de" 🫶

At HUA Rangatahi, we believe our strength is in how we engage. Rangatahi need spaces where they feel heard, seen, and accepted 🥰

Reach out, speak up, check in x
Together... we change the story.

***dePreventionDay

08/09/2025

🫰 And it's another week here at HUA Rangatahi! 🫰

We had some cool kaupapa happening last week, some self defence and hip hop classes (hip hop with Nami happening again on Thursday!). We'll also be supporting the kaupapa at Old Pakkies carpark on Wednesday for World Su***de Prevention Day ❤️

Friday we'll be closing early to go check out some cool as rangatahi facilities in Whangarei!! Taking HUA Rangatahi on the road!!

01/09/2025

🔥 What's on at HUA Rangatahi this week! 🔥
Ideas around making some cash money, tikanga tingzzz, wero challenges, new activities and a chill Friday to wrap it up.

Pull up from 11am each day, plenty going on 🙌

28/07/2025

Got some of the waka ama crew in going hard

02/07/2025

❤️ What a cool as write up about our kaupapa HUA Rangatahi and also He Ara Whānui, He Ara Tētēkura 😎 Big mihi to Northland Age and the reporter Yolisa for the opportunity 🌺

The Hua Rangatahi gym started as a small gym in a Kaitaia plaza.