Small Community Battles - Te Hana

Small community initiatives are one thing but when a small community, north of Auckland, change their existence and lifestyle it is amazingly inspiring. The Te Hana community has fought to right their wrongs and instill a degree of hope within their community. They have battled through a degraded social image which may have seen the small community abandoned (Te Hana CDC Trust, 2006). What makes it more inspirational is that, to get this far, they have had no government funding and still have been very successful in achieving their dreams.

Image of the Te Hana community at its worst (Source: Te Hana CDC Trust, 2006)

Things have changed, however, the community has been led by the Te Hana Community Development Trust, established in 2002, and has become a unique tourist destination providing an authentic Maori experience, only one hour from the Auckland CBD.

Check out some photos of this beautiful place outside the clutter of Auckland. 

A view from the Marae (Source: Arias, A., 2011).

New Pa site displaying their ancestor's, Princess Te Hana, story (Source: Arias, A., 2011)

The newly developed modern Marae (Source: Arias, A., 2011)

Traditional Maori village developed by the Te Hana CDC Trust (Source: Arias, A., 2011).

Te Hana's relation to health can be seen because to escape the fast-paced Auckland CBD, this type of experience is necessary for relaxation to occur. As mentioned before it is only an hour out of Auckland providing Aucklanders convenience to a serene place with great people, great culture and a place where relaxation can occur. These types of 'getaways' every once in a while can be important to the mental health of people and in this case, a small rural community like Te Hana has created a brilliant, vibrant place for people to relieve mental stress. 

The Te Hana community has also redeveloped their area with a focus on the health of their community. This, to me, is inspirational because, not only are they creating a brighter future for their children but, they are also addressing many facets of life including the health of their community members. To think, such a small community can come so far is amazing and reassuring. Some of Te Hana's health related projects have included:

• Bettering the sewerage treatment and drinking water facilities;
• Encouraging exercise through community classes;
• Supporting the PushPlay programme;
• Improving exercise facilities, such as sports fields, basketball courts etc;
• Promoting child health checks in all schools in the area;
• Promoting a 'Well Child Health Programme'; and
• Reducing smoking in their community

So next time you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Auckland, or if you want to see another side of Auckland, drive up to Te Hana and make a day of it. It provides a relief from mental stress in a place where the air is fresh, the people are friendly and the world is seen in a new light.

Check out this video of Te Hana's journey that my group members and I prepared for a project for one of our Planning papers...

(Acknowledgments to my team members Angela Taganahan, Simon Mitchell, Steven Sanson and Sophie Elwood and myself, Jayesh Parekh.)

References:

• Arias, A. (2011): "Personal Photos."
• Te Hana Community Development Charitable (CDC) Trust (2006): "Te Hana/Oruawharo Community Plan" http://www.zartaj.co.nz/development/tehana.co.nz/uploads/file/Te%20HanaCommunityOutcomePlanReport7_Revisedcopy_090507.pdf (Accessed: 16/04/11).