Boots ‘n all

30 Nov 2023 • By Roy Pilott Share:

Te Awamutu Intermediate year eight student Pokaia Heke

When Te Awamutu Intermediate’s all-star kapa haka group was at the Celebrating Waipā event at Karāpiro last week it was hard not to notice year eight student Pokaia Heke.

Pokaia has been recovering from a bad ankle injury and, says teacher Matiu Paraone, often performs without her boot. Last week the ankle was clearly giving her a bit more pain – but boot ‘n all, the Year 8 student stepped up.

She’s great kid,” Paraone told The News.

See: hard calls coming.

More Recent News

Counting the birds
22 May 25

A first official bird count was done recently at the Lake Rotopiko wetland near Ōhaupō. The count was organised as part of restoration efforts being done in the area by the National Wetland Trust.  Providing…

Prison work almost done
22 May 25

The Department of Corrections has nearly completed a 21-hectare building project to add nearly 600 beds in 28 new buildings at Waikeria Prison. Increasing the size of the prison also comes with a staff increase…

A family that pulls together
22 May 25

Among the most passionate participants in the Fieldays Tractor Pull is Ōhaupō farmer Daniel Reymer who is part of a family with a long-time involvement. What began as a modest contest in 1975 with two-wheel…

Scholarship for Katie
22 May 25

Cambridge student Katie Hollands has won a $5000 Meat Industry Association scholarship. Hollands, who did not grow up on a farm but spent a lot of time on schoolfriends’ family farms which sparked her interest,…