#ManaKai from Ruapuke Island Beekeeper Dan Tarrant

Our Eat NZ Kaitaki Dan Tarrant is a beekeeper and hunter, who grew up amidst the rich kai culture of Southland. He shares his experience and dreams for the Mana Kai concepts of Mātauranga, Manaakitanga and Ngā Nuinga.

• Ka tanga te titi
• Ka tanga te kaka
• Ka tanga hoki au
• Tehei Mauri ora
• Kei te pupuhi te hau no katiritiri o
• Te moana I te toka ki ka mou-tere titi
• Ki te puka o te waka o Aoraki
• Ki a Ruapuke Ki te taurapa o te waka ko motupohue
• Ki te Moana o Tu-te-raki-whanoa ki a piopiotahi
• Ko enei ka ara tawhito o ka matua tipuna
• Ko hananui te maunga
• Ko Te Ara a Kiwa te moana
• Ko Oreti te awa
• Ko Takitimu te waka
• Ko Kai tahu, Kati Mamoe, Waitaha aku iwi
• Ko Motupohue te kainga engari ko Ruapuke raua ko Rakiura aku Turangawaewae
• Ko Daniel Tarrant Taku ingoa

Growing up in Motupōhue, seafood was abundant. We grew up on tītī, oysters, fresh fish, crayfish, kina and pāua. Along with my cousins we taught ourselves to gather, to dive. Te taiao was our playground and each day brought a new adventure. Trips on the school holidays to the Tītī Island, ours was the Hazelburgs, just a skip and a hop from Puke. So much learning happened here. I learnt a lot about who I was and where I came from.

Hot windy days upon Ruapuke Island, taken along for a ride from Tuki my Poua (grandfather). Days spent running free exploring the Island, diving for our tea. Poua was our storyteller and the person who filled my heart with passion, love and intrigue for a place where our ancestors walked all those years before. Each day and each place we visited brought a new story…

“That’s where the old Topi house stood, see those rock walls this is where the gardens for the pa were planted out, we used to catch eels in this lagoon, when I was young, we caught Tītī on that island outcrop, set your net in that spot, row the dinghy out boy, KEEP YOUR FINGERS OFF THE SIDE”.

So many memories stored to share with my own Tamariki in years to come. Meals at night were filled with whānau and extended whānau upon the Island, all joining in to prepare and put a meal together from the spoils of the Island, everyone would have something different to bring to the tepu (table).

A Kaupapa worth striving for…

• Teach our tamariki to feed themselves and others – skill set that will be with them for life. Passed on from generation to generation.
• Share the stories, write them down, re- tell them over and over until they become a memory. One that is with them forever.
• Teach your tamariki resilience, that it’s ok to stuff up, that’s how you learn. Be patient slow and steady wins the race. Good things come in time. Great example is my wife learning how to break down a sheep, each try she has she has become more confident, eventually she will share this skill with others. I feel proud knowing she too can feed our whānau.
• Share your abundance with others. We don’t freeze much and if we do it’s not there for long - as someone is always wanting a feed.
• There is a feeling of pride and a sense of fulfilment in sharing with whānau and friends.

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

With my basket and your basket the people will thrive