Temepara at Raetihi Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Heading into Raetihi from the bustling ski town of Ohakune, it is hard to miss the Ratana Temepara building nestled on the hilltop. Its location is admired by travellers and tourists who stop at the roadside to take a photo, according to the local it’s a common occurrence.
Te Whare Whakamoemiti was built as a replica of the Temepara at Ratana Pa in Whanganui, other replicas were built in the Far North.
According to the local history the building was used by the Methodist church located near the bridge at Raetihi, but as more locals turned to the Ratana Faith the building was not used but in time it was given to the Ratana church. To move it to the hilltop, one recollection from local elder Tere o te Metua Treanor, was that Oxen were used to pull the building up on a rail, the location where the temple remains today.
Architect Christina Van Bohemen is helping to plan the restoration project of the Temepara. Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
One thing the local whanau have accepted is that the temple, which has featured on the cover of architect magazines and the subject of television documentaries is in desperate need of some repair work. For almost three years the local community at Raetihi have met and talked with a team of Auckland based architects to work towards a restoration project.
Te Awhina Arahanga has whakapapa (whanau) links to Raetihi and Taumutu in the South Island she is an artist, a writer and has worked in the museum sector as a researcher of tāonga Māori. It was at an awards dinner that she struck up a conversation with her museum colleagues who were able to connect her other architects, the plan to restore the Temepara sprung from those initial conversations.
“When tohu (signs) align we just happened to be here [and] we just happened to meet Christina...it was a leap frog from one thing to another” she says.
According to Architect Rick Pearson the need to get the project underway is important because of the temples susceptibility to the elements, arguing that in a few years if a bad storm hit, it could wipe out the building. Pearson has a background in establishing museum and exhibition spaces and is part of the team assisting with the restoration plans.
“Architecturally it’s a very important significant, iconic building for New Zealand…so we saw an opportunity of being involved…we’re very sensitive that we’re not treading on anyone’s toes…as architects we might look at it and say that doesn’t look any good but that’s not the point, it’s a living building it has to be used and be loved by the community rather than architects coming in from the outside.” he says.
