Manutuke: Māori history and wine

Manutuke offers an unusual contrast between Māori heritage and wine: Wharenui Te Poho o Rukupō at Manutūkē Marae is one of the oldest meeting houses in Tāranga, while Wrights Vineyard and Winery offers a tour of the winery and vineyards, with tastings from tanks and barrels. When choosing a destination, you can therefore consider whether cultural history or an insight into winemaking is more important to you. Advance booking is required for the tour.

Meeting houses and commemorative traditions

Wharenui Te Poho o Rukupō underwent extensive restoration in the 1980s under the direction of Cliff Whiting. Its age and this restoration connect the meeting house both to Tāranga’s history and to its more recent past. The term wharenui refers to a meeting house; at Manutūkē Marae, the building is a tangible point of connection for those interested in Māori culture and the history of the place.

Another historical development concerns Wharenui Te Poho o Hinehou and the Maori Battalion Hall. Shortly before the First World War, the wharenui was moved to Manutuke Marae and converted into a dining hall. Either during the Second World War or immediately afterwards, it was renamed Maori Battalion Hall and became the centre of Rongowhakaata’s Anzac Day commemorations. This sequence shows how the building was repurposed and later came to play a role in commemorative traditions.

Three rolls of honour are associated with Maori Battalion Hall. The First World War roll of honour, “Rarangi Onga Hoia Maori O Te Ropu O Turanga”, records 13 Māori soldiers from the Gisborne area who died in service and 89 soldiers who served. The Second World War roll of honour, “Te Rarangi Ingoa Hoia Te Ropu O Manutuke”, lists nine soldiers from the Manutuke area who died in service and 48 soldiers who served. The figures therefore refer to different wars and geographical areas. In each case, those who died and those who served are listed separately—a distinction that is important when interpreting the numbers.

Vineyards and tastings

At its cellar door in Manutuke, Wrights Vineyard and Winery offers a tour of the winery and vineyards, with tastings from tanks and barrels. The tour combines a look at the vineyards with samples from two different types of vessels. Advance booking is required for this experience. The winery and café are located in the Manutuke Appellation – Coastal Vineyard. This designation places the winemaking in a named appellation; the tour itself focuses on the winery, vineyards, and tastings.

When looking for a holiday rental, the main theme of your trip may be a deciding factor: if you are particularly interested in Māori history and the rolls of honour, Manutuke offers historical points of connection. If you are more interested in winemaking, Wrights’ tour is one of the specific experiences available in the area. If you would like to make these themes the focus of your stay, you can search specifically for a holiday rental in Manutuke. If you are interested in the tour, remember to book in advance.

For the broader travel overview: Gisborne.