Ngāti Kahu Hauora has celebrated the reopening and blessing of Waiāio, their newly restored Whare Matua in Bethlehem, Tauranga. The name Waiāio, meaning peaceful waters, was gifted by Ngāti Kahu hapū representative Charlie Rahiri Jnr and reflects the hauora’s deep connection to the Wairoa River and its people.
The cottage holds a long and proud history. It was first used as a schoolhouse for the Bethlehem Native School, later becoming part of Bethlehem Primary School. Over the decades, it also served as a Kōhanga Reo run by the people of Wairoa and later became the office for Ngāti Kahu Hauora’s Community Services team.
In time, the building was closed due to health and safety requirements and remained unused for several years. In 2023, the Ngāti Kahu Hauora Board made the decision to seek funding to bring the whare back to life. With support from TECT, through a dollar-for-dollar partnership, renovations began in November 2024. Nearly 12 months later, the community gathered on Thursday, 6 November 2025, to mark the official reopening and blessing of Waiāio.
New purpose
The whare’s restoration also honours its deep community roots. The building once housed principals of Bethlehem School. During the opening ceremony, Aunty Julie Tawa, a former teacher, shared memories of her time there and of respected kaiako Sylvia Ashton-Warner, a person passionate about a style of education and learning that was interactive for Māori children of the time.
Now restored, Waiāio will serve as a Day Respite Cottage for whānau and a gathering space for group education, wellbeing sessions and community connection. The activities held in the building will be shaped by those who use it — kaumātua, whānau and the wider community — ensuring it continues its legacy of service, healing and care.
General Manager Reweti Te Mete said, “Together, we celebrate not only the reopening of Waiāio, but the reawakening of its purpose as a place of care, rest and connection, dedicated to the wellbeing of our pakeke, our whānau, our hapū and our wider community.”
Nau mai te kahu oranga, ūhia ki te iwi, ūhia ki te whenua, kia ihirangaranga ki te ao.
Embrace the cloak of wellbeing and prosperity; covering it over the people and the land, so its vitality may resonate everywhere.
WBOP PHO whānau
Ngāti Kahu Hauora is a Kaupapa Māori and very low-cost practice within the Western Bay of Plenty Primary Health Organisation (WBOP PHO) network. To learn more about their services, visit their profile here or explore their website. To view all general practices in our network, check our Find a GP Practice page.
