YOUR WHANAU + MY WHANAU = OUR WHANAU

Family is a pretty dominant narrative in Maori culture - individualism is not a concept that is rarely observed. This flies in the face of the completely narcissistic world that we are currently building around ourselves. When I married my darling wife at St Luke’s Church in Pakanae, two very different stories collided at an altar with tears of joy and songs of love. Family will do that to you. Our little church shares space with the Pakanae Marae on a hill overlooking sand-dunes, the harbour and farmland. There is a very clear connection between a Marae and the land around it - these hills share stories that give our story a sense of heritage - we share this sacred space with the local iwi who were gracious enough to allow us to be married here…

Pakanae is a tiny settlement just a few minutes drive from Omapere and Opononi - you should go up there and enjoy the amazing hospitality of the team at the Copthorne!