E manawarū ana a Piri Weepu (Te Whakatōhea/Ngāi Tahu/Niue) ki te whakaatu i ōna pūkenga i Te Whakataetae Pūhoru Manu o te Ao, ko te whiringa tuatahi ka tū ki Te Aro, i Te Whanganui a Tara hei te 26 ki te 28 o Hānuere.
Ehara ko te whakaatu pūkenga anahe tāna e whai nei i te whakataetae, engari ko te hiki hoki i te māramatanga mō te noho haumaru i te wai hei tēnei raumati.
Koia hoki e hāpai ake ana i te hiringa ahurea me ngā hononga a te Māori ki te wai, hei mātāpuna o te ora, hei puna kōrero tuku iho anō hoki.
Hei tā Weepu ki a allblacks.com, “ko Te Whakataetae Pūhoru Manu o te Ao, he ara hei tuari i aua kōrero tuku iho, hei whakāpumau hoki i te hiranga o te mahi haumaru i te wā e mahi parekareka ana.”
E rua anō ngā whiringa o te whakataetae ka whai atu i tuatahi i Te Whanganui a Tara, ka tū ērā ki wāhi kē atu o te motu, arā, ki Kirikiriroa, ki Ōtautahi hoki hei te Pēpuere, i mua i te whiringa whakamutunga ki Tāmaki Makaurau hei te Maehe.
“Ki a au, e haratau ana taku manu,” tā Weepu e whakapono ana.
Engari, ki te kore au e whai tūranga ki te whiringa whakamutunga, ko reira au hei tautoko, hei whakanui i te toi rerehua o te manu.”
Ko te kairuku ō mua o Te Tauā Moana o Aotearoa, ko Rob Hewitt hoki tētahi ka haere ki te whakataetae hei pou hāpai i te kaupapa. I ngaro atu ai a Hewitt (Kahungunu/Tūwharetoa) ki te moana i Kāpiti i te tau 2006, i tana rarunga i te wai, ka 75 hāora e ngaro ana ko tōna kotahi. Ināianei, he māngai ia o Wai Ora Aotearoa e whakakanohi ana i te mahi haumaru i te wai.
He hangarau hōu hoki ka whakamahia hei tēnei whakataetae, ko te ‘Manutech’, nā Te Wananga Aronui o Tāmaki i whakawhanake. He mea whakamahi i te hangarau hei aromatawai, hei arohaehae i ngā taipitopito o ia pūhoru.