Walks in their seasons
Kōanga | Spring : Pīta Turei | Jeremy Leatinu’u | Christina Houghton
Raumati | Summer : Pīta Turei | val smith | Suzanne Cowan and Rodney Bell
Ngahuru | Autumn : Andrew McMillan | Vanessa Crofskey | Melissa Laing | Pīta Turei
Takarua | Winter : Pīta Turei | Layne Waerea with Lana Lopesi | Becca Wood
Kōanga | Spring : Christina Houghton | Jeremy Leatinu’u | Andrew McMillan | Richard Orjis
Mata Kē Ao
Pita Turei
An observation of the dawn to anchor our cognisance of this land.
Sunday September 22nd, 5:45 am.
Pukematekeo Lookout, Summit Road (off Scenic Drive), Waitākere Ranges.
Join storyteller and orator Pīta Turei on the summit of Pukematekeo to observe the sun rising over this land as winter gives way to spring.
From the top of Pukematekeo the isthmus of Tāmaki Makaurau spreads before you. You can discern the Waitematā, Manukau and Kaipara harbours and the two oceans that flow into them, mark the 13 portages that cross the land and see the sky stretching over our two mountain ranges. Congregating in the moments before the sun rises we will see Whakaahu Kerekere (Castor), and Whakaahu Rangi (Pollux) in the sky.
From Pukematekeo a history of the land and people can be told. One that anchors our cognisance of this place in observation and the sharing of the oral histories of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Whiro
Pīta Turei
6:00 am, 20 May 2020
Harbourview-Orangihina Park, 465 Te Atatu Road, Te Atatu Penninsula.
Walking about re-emerges under Whiro
As we carefully move into this period of opening back up and reconnect to people and places, Pīta Turei invites you to an observance of dawn on the morning the new moon rises – Whiro. Commonly described as a low energy day Whiro is a slow and quiet period of transition to a new beginning. It is a balance point in the lunar cycle that offers a refreshment of potential and glimpses of uncertainty. The kōrero accompanying the observance will explore how tikanga, customary practices and oral histories might guide us in how to be together safely. This kōrero and your contributions to it will inform how we manaaki Walking about participants as future walks unfold.
In accordance with the current Covid19 level 2 guidelines this observance will be limited in numbers and managed as a placed event (we’ll be marking where you can stand or sit) so please register in advance to secure a place. We encourage you to bring a blanket to sit on. We ask that as you arrive and leave you are careful to respect distancing between people and if you are coming as part of a group you keep the group under ten people. If you are sick please stay home.
Photo by Lynne Greyling https://www.needpix.com/photo/1396975/sky-blue-moon-crescent-sliver-thin/seabirdnz/22995973545
Rangi Matariki
Pita Turei
Tuesday, 14 July, 6 am
Meet at Rangimatariki,
Rosebank Domain, 126 Patiki Rd, Avondale.
7:20 am Walk to Motu Manawa across the mud flats
Join storyteller Pīta Turei at Rangimatariki for the third in a series of storytelling events. Standing on the point of Rangimatariki, a history of the land and people can be shared. This history helps to strengthen and increase our knowledge of celestial progression, by observing and sharing the oral histories of Tāmaki Makaurau. Together we will watch Matariki rising, as Turei shares histories of Tāmaki. As dawn breaks, join the hīkoi out to Motu Manawa across the mud flats. This hīkoi acknowledges the significance of Rangimatariki, Motu Manawa and Te Kou (Pollen Island Marine Reserve) for Te Wai o Hua and the people of Tāmaki. Presented as part of Matariki Festival 2020
Numbers for the matariki rising observance are open within the limits of the level we are at. However, to protect the delicate ecology of the marine reserve, numbers for the hīkoi to Motu Manawa are limited to 20. Register on Eventbrite to secure your place or email kiaora@walkingabout.nz. The walk requires a reasonable degree of physical fitness and in parts crosses thick tidal mud. Gumboots or sturdy walking boots are a mandatory requirement for all walkers.
Presented in partnership with Matariki Festival 2020
Photos by Jody Yawa McMillan
Kawea
Jeremy Leatinu’u
Saturday 2 November 12:00 noon
Meet at the Summit Drive entrance to Ōwairaka mountain.
Kawea is a project by Jeremy Leatinu’u that invites participants to traverse the urbanscape of Ōwairaka. The journey will begin at the base of the mountain of Ōwairaka before traveling towards the waters of the Waitematā and arriving at the Waterview reserve.
People participating in the walk are asked to bring a small object of importance which will be wrapped and carried during the journey.
Come between 12:00 and 12:30 to wrap your small object. Walk will depart at 12:30.
The name of the walk itself, Kawea, translates as to take or to carry.
Mauria
Jeremy Leatinu’u
Saturday 31 October, 12 noon
Meet at Waterview Reserve, Herdman St, Waterview
Mauria is the second walking project presented by Jeremy Leatinu’u that invites participants to traverse the urbanscape of Ōwairaka. The journey will begin at the Waterview Reserve before travelling towards and arriving at the base of the mountain of Ōwairaka / Te Ahi Kaa o Rakataura. The name of the walk itself, Mauria, translates as ‘to take’ or ‘to carry’. People participating in the walk are asked to bring a small packet of plant seeds or seedlings of any kind which will be carried during the journey.
Mauria walks the return journey to Kawea in 2019. A walk that invited participants to bring and carry an object of significance from the base of Ōwairaka to Waterview reserve.
The walk is accessible to people with wheelchairs and pushchairs. Transport back to Waterview Reserve will be provided.
If you need wheelchair accessible transport please get in touch on kiaora@walkingabout.nz so we know to book the correct vehicle type
Wayfinding Waikumete
Christina Houghton
Saturday 23 November
Meet at Mt Eden Station at 4.10 pm
How do we navigate urban environments through wayfaring? Using actions of recovery and discovery, guided by maramataka Christina invites you to join a series of gentle walks that navigate the urban environment of Glen Eden.
Wayfinding Waikumete investigates the lost name of Waikumete (waters of the kumete bowl) unveiling stories of past, present and future over a number of walks. The first walk by Christina will track the history of Waikumete through its iconic cemetery beginning with the northern train line trip to Waikumete (now the Western Line).
Meet at Mt Eden Station at 4.10 pm to begin the exploration, bring your hop card or buy a 2 zone ticket to Glen Eden station from the ticket machine on arrival.
We invite you to wear an item of black clothing in recognition of rituals for passing and commemoration
Photos by Jody Yawa McMillan
Wayfinding Waikumete
Christina Houghton
Saturday 10 October, 11 am
Meet at the Glen Eden Train Station
Photos by Bronwyn Evans
queer walk-nap
val smith
with Lusi Faiva
Saturday 15 February
6:30am Western Springs Park
https://goo.gl/maps/9uLtrbaXMs8bzHqg6
11:30am: Heron Park
https://goo.gl/maps/rdnYvHTEuWcky5BbA
Sunday 16 February
7:30pm: Ken Maunder Park
https://goo.gl/maps/XgFPoVYitwZ1gPNs6
11:30pm: Rooftop Terrace, Lopdell House
https://goo.gl/maps/CFDCdhHd6LYXK3xf9
Join with performance artist val smith in four walk events that occur over two days coinciding with dawn, midday, dusk and midnight. queer walk-nap* is an invitation into queer time, moving in relation to the multiple issues at play with each resting space, such as heteronormative and colonial layerings. Together we will move in intervals of dawdling, napping, taking breaks and chatting, paying attention to our co-experience of the passing of time. Holding space for the emergence of our queer social practices, queer walk-nap will activate anti-capitalist and anti-racist modes of being together, and deactivate the powers of straight time. We will move westward in relation to nonlinear logics of light, atmosphere and pressure present at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. Please bring a blanket.
Created with Lusi Faiva
Presented in partnership with Auckland Pride Festival
*The name of this event has been changed in response to community feedback.
Hauntology of Inheritance
Suzanne Cowan and Rodney Bell
Through the work The Hauntology of Inheritance, dancers and choreographers Suzanne Cowan and Rodney Bell explore ideas of family heritage, the history of colonisation in New Zealand and notions of partnership. The Byers Walkway carries the name of Cowan’s ancestors and marks their role as early settlers in the Piha area. Through traversing the Byers Walkway together, Bell and Cowan interrogate the legacy that Pakeha have inherited in the 21st century and pay respects to Te Kawerau a Maki as tangata whenua of the area.
As dancers, Rodney and Suzanne both have the lived experience of disability which gives them a unique perspective on navigating and choreographing space. They ask how we honour our own desire to access the forest and be an active part of the lived ecology that surrounds us. With a particular interest in accessing Tane Mahuta, the deity of the forest, they invite us to attune to the environment and consider the role of self-care, kinaesthetic empathy, interdependence and intercorporeality (including the human and non-human).
Ko Puketotara te maunga | Puketotara is the mountain
Ko Waitakere te awa | Waitakere is the river
Ko te Wao nui a Tiriwa te ngahere | The Great Forest of Tiriwa is the forest
Ko nga Tai Whakatu a Kupe te moana | The raised seas of Kupe is the ocean
Ko Te Au o Te Whenua te tangata | Te Au o Te Whenua is the person
Ko Te Kawerau a Maki te iwi | Te Kawerau a Maki is the tribe
Tihei mauri ora! | Let there be life!
The Hauntology of Inheritance is one of twelve projects as part of Walking about, a contemporary art series that explores the relationship between walking and art. Walking about has received generous support from Auckland Council, Albert-Eden Local Board and Whau Local Board. Individual walks will be announced at walkingabout.nz and on Te Uru’s website and social media pages.
We encourage you to bring prams and scooters and pack a picnic. We will share some food together at the end of walk in the picnic area of the walkway.
A shuttle van will be available from New Lynn train station and Te Uru in Titirangi on the day. Book van tickets and register for the walk at www.eventbrite.co.nz
Saturday 29 February, 2pm
Meet at Kitekite Falls car park, Glenesk Road, Piha.
Photos by Bronwyn Evans
Sports Day
Vanessa Crofskey
This April Vanessa Crofskey is bringing you a creative interpretation of the ubiquitous summer athletics festival. Sports Day is a fun day of championship games, all to do with walking. It upends the traditional speed and skill based games and rewards the skills acquired in day to day living. Whether you’re exceptionally good at remembering where you parked your car, carrying groceries, or ambling along to a podcast, Sports Day has a competition for you! Celebrate sport in its most household form, and encourage physical exercise for everybody with us.
Sports Day took place online on 4 April 2020. You can watch the instructional videos and undertake a race at your leisure.
How good are you at carrying groceries? This grocery run will be a trio of competitive heats designed for the average person. Compete in speed and precision at carrying armfuls of shopping goods across obstacles.
How (s)low can you go? Compete to be the slowest team member walking around the block. The winner is the last one across the line. The rules: you can only move forward, not backward, and have to keep moving no matter what.
How many steps can you take in thirty minutes? Registered participants will be given a pedometer each and thirty minutes to max out their step counts. No cheating allowed!
Sports Day – Championship Triathlon
Our big event of the day! Participants will compete through a set course of challenges that involve every type of walking imaginable. Success is just a hop, skip and jump away.
Standing at the edge
Screening online from 11 April 2020
vimeo.com/TeUru
A solo performance by Mustaq Missouri, written and directed and filmed by Melissa Laing.
“Imagine that, in the middle of a vast city, you might be so intimately connected to your community that you cannot leave your house without a serendipitous encounter.”
This is the world that our guide is dreaming of as he negotiates life after he’s made redundant. He’s taking us on a walk through the streets and gravel lots of the town centre, showing us development sites undergoing rapid change, and helping us see the possibilities of the place differently. He wants you to dream with him.
Standing at the Edge is a meditation on the relationships between property, debt, work and community as they play out on the suburban fringes of Auckland. Our guide, Missouri, performs the story of a man balancing financial obligations against dreams of social and economic change. He’s questioning what we value and why.
Woven into the story are histories of failed and successful attempts to build alternative communities and create change through labour activism.
The Public Stand
Becca Wood
An audio guided walk through the Avondale Racecourse
First launched Saturday Afternoon 12 September
Artist Becca Wood invites you to join her at the edge of Avondale Racecourse for The Public Stand, an audio guided walk through the Racecourse grounds.
The walk can be undertaken as a solo or group experience at anytime the Racecourse is open to the public. Please respect the Racecourse rules and avoid walking on the Track. Stream or download the file on Podomatic, Spotify or Apple podcasts. Download a map of the route here.
The Public Stand is a choreoauratic walk that brings attention to the uncertainty of what lies ahead for the Avondale Racecourse. Wearing headphones, the participants tune in towards their moving bodies, the site, the disappearing the unseen and the unspeakable. Through walking with and listening to the site’s histories, this series reimagines lost and forgotten stories, and present and possible futures. As a collective, the audience walks together towards the unknown.
Having presented previous works on sites and in buildings that are in a state of disrepair or uncertainty, Wood continues to raise consciousness of threshold spaces and the forgotten stories of our cities. She says: ‘Slowing down to listen, the sounds sink inwards to the middle of me… Slowing down my pace in the cityscape in order to make visible the hidden spaces, lost landscapes, – feeling the shadows cross me, the back streets… the voice of the street – this part of this, or part of us?’
The audio guide was informed by an earlier community sharing walk on Sunday 21 June, 3pm:
Artist Becca Wood invites you to join her at the edge of Avondale Racecourse for the first walk of The Public Stand series. Over the course of the walk she will create space for participants to share stories and experiences of the Racecourse. The stories shared will influence the shape of the following walks.
The Public Stand
Becca Wood
cruising, lazing, leaning
Richard Orjis
Featuring original music by Marika Pratley
Saturday 21 November, 9pm
Meet at Te Wai Orea / Western Springs Park at the bottom of Stadium Road
Spotify | Itunes | Podomatic | Download file
Drawing on queer histories of cruising for intimate encounters in parks, artist Richard Orjis invites you to gather by the Waters of the Eel, Te Wai Orea / Western Springs Park for a night time cruise. Set against a background of queer ecological thought, and bttm_ methodology, Orjis will lead a walk driven by principles of connectivity, pleasure and subversion. It will be made up of a list of fluid provocations and ethical explorations as a soft testing of the notion of being ‘passively active’ that prioritises openness, slowness and empathy. Together we will explore how passive, promiscuous, temporary and transient modes may lead to meaningful alliances and intimacies between humans and the more-than-human.
Please bring your phones, head-phones, a torch and a blanket.
cruising, lazing, leaning
Richard Orjis
Photos by Ralph Brown
Echo Eco Echo
Andrew McMillan
2pm Saturday 7 November
Join us on a guided audiophonic walk with the artist
Starts at Harbutt Reserve, Mt Albert
Listen anytime by downloading audio files and a map at http://walkingabout.nz/echoecoecho/
Sound artist Andrew McMillan invites you to join him on a guided version of the audiophonic walk Echo Eco Eco, launched in March 2020. Bring your headphones and an audio device to stream the music.
McMillan has composed an answer to the question what sound happens just out of sight, just out of earshot, just before we arrive and right after we’ve left? Using environmental sensors and field recordings he has created an audiophonic walk for the Te Auaunga / Oakley Creek walkway and Waterview shared pathway. The composition augments the audible environment listeners are walking through with sonification – sounds based on environmental data gathered at each site – and field recordings gathered from easily seen and hidden spaces along the path. The result McMillan hopes for is that walkers will gain a heightened awareness of the local environment by undertaking a sensory journey. One that opens up and extends the aural experience and sound memories of our environment.
Echo Eco Echo Guided Walk
Andrew McMillan
