Ko wai te waka e takoto nei? Ko Horouta, ko Horouta

Pā atu rā taku hoe, ki te riu tapu nui o te waka e takoto nei 

Rei kura, rei ora, rei ora te mauri e!

E te tama e Rowe, rokohanga koe kei tawhiti e tiraha nei, anei rā hoki tō waka o Horouta e tangi ana, e noho tahanga ana i roto i te wā kāinga i Tūranga, i Te Tairāwhiti. Kaha rawa te mamae me te pouri kua tau mai i runga i a mātau me tō mate ohorere e kore e tāea e te aha te whakakaupare atu. Kāti, haere i tō haere, haere māhau. Kauri atu rā ngā ara moana i hōea ai e o tātau tipuna. Kō atu, kō mai, kō ngā pae o maumahara ka titia i te manawa, ka pūmautia i te ngākau, moe mai rā e Rowe, e oki, e oki.

We the whānau of Horouta Waka Hoe, and all those who knew him, were stunned to receive the news of the passing of Rowe Wharehinga on the Sunshine Coast doing what he loved – te hoe waka. Only 39 years old, Rowe packed a lot in his relatively short life. Beginning his paddling journey with Mareikura, Rowe then became a member of Horouta Brix J16 Men, the very first team to represent Horouta Waka Hoe at its formation in 1998 going on to win a silver medal at the world sprints in Fiji that same year, Rowe subsequently moved to Brisbane and in 2009 was one of the co-founders of Bayside Outrigger Club. Most of his life was dedicated to waka ama and he continued to be a beacon to paddlers in Australia and New Zealand throughout his life.

Rowe leaves behind a wife, Alley, son Blake and daughter, Amber. His mother Monica – who was a founding member of Horouta Waka Hoe -  and father Ben and siblings Benton and Shelley.

Kati rā e Rowe, hāunga kua ū tō waka, e hoe tonu ana tō tira kei ngā rauawa o te wai. Horo ki uta, horo ki tai, horo ki te rangi e . . . hi!

Na tō whānau o Horouta Waka Hoe