Bring your taiaha
Nīkau B. (he/him) at Grafton Hall
![Nīkau stands in his room wearing a UoA hoodie and holding his taiaha across his chest with both arms. Text reads "Mauria mai ō taiaha. Mā mātou ā muri iho e whakarite. Uru mai ki ngā whare noho. kaua e hopo ki ngā taipitopito."](/content/auckland/en/on-campus/accommodation/bring-yourself/bring-your-taiaha/_jcr_content/leftpar/imagecomponent/image.img.480.low.jpg/1721879415266.jpg)
About Nīkau's taiaha
My Taiaha goes by the name of Waetoki, which I was fortunate enough to have a close friend offer to carve for me a few years ago. As a kapa haka performer, having Waetoki with me in Accommodation was important as it allowed me to continue to hone and refine my skills wherever I go in the world. My Taiaha symbolises my Māoritanga as embodied by this whakataukī: ‘Ko taku Taiaha! He rākau kairangi! He rākau kaipapa!
Taiahahā! Taiahahā! Ko Waetoki te ingoa o tāku taiaha. He rākau kairangi, he rākau kaipapa. Nā tētahi hoa tata nōku te taiaha nei i whao, ā, ka tae atu au ki Ngā Wharenoho o Waipapa, mātua ko tāna tae atu hoki. Ko ia tonu tōku hoa haere i au e mahi ana i ngā mahi kapa haka, ngā mahi tūtaua, ngā mahi ā Tū ka oti. Koia ko Waetoki, te tohu o tōku Māoritanga, me he ata kurakura, hei te ao, hei te pō. Taku rākau eee!
About Grafton Hall
Grafton Hall is a catered hall which offers large private bedrooms with shared bathrooms, study rooms and a communal lounge on each floor. Just a short walk from the Auckland domain and Westfield Newmarket, Grafton Hall is a tight-knit community. Grafton Hall hosts a tauira Māori community to support all Māori kainoho, residents during their first year of study.
This hall is available to first-year school leavers.