Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!” Goethe.
When asked about the kaupapa / vision for what we are doing here at Ruamāhanga Farm I sometimes say ‘vision is what grows in the footsteps of shared commitment’. In the case of the wetland restoration this has translated into many meandering walks on my own and with others. When encountering the glistening and sometimes rapidly rising waters of the awa or the now braided waters of the wetland, often the pace slows and a different sensibility emerges. Perhaps in those moments we begin to listen to Te Reo o te Wai … the language of the water. It has been heartening to see the effect of this on others and the way creative ideas begin to bubble up between us. Some of these ideas turn into actions that are shaping the way we see and do things. Our wetland walks have been an example of this.
Thanks to funding from the Pain Estate Fund, we had the resources to install six handsome stiles and think in a more expansive way about how we might approach the wayfinding and interpretation signage for the two stretches of publicly accessible paths we have developed; the riverside and the wetland walk. The possibility was exciting but how to begin and who might help us I wondered? Our friend and artist Jenny Keate introduced us to Adrienne Riseley. Adi spent a month with us, helping in the wetland and on our Te Reo o te Wai education programme along with creating the signs for the walking paths. One morning I noticed her beginning to assemble old materials from around the farm. Each day she would fit together found boards with their patina of worn paintwork. Within a few weeks a set of signs was created which surpassed our expectations of what might be possible. On either side of the six stiles that you will encounter along the path are now fifteen pieces of 3D art … a far cry from the laminated stickers that I first envisaged. The signs reflect the history of the various farm buildings and they also speak to the kaupapa of what we are now doing, i.e. using what we have and encouraging collaborative creativity.
We are on a huge learning journey in terms of what it means to create a community oriented wetland and to be good custodians of a farm which runs alongside a significant awa; the central artery of the Wairarapa valley. Adi expressed something of what this is about in her recent instagram post.
‘“ Putting a walkway through a private farm that gives access to beautiful sections of the river, regenerating bush and wetlands is pure activism. The farm foundation is all about public engagement, participation, education and using our sensibilities to increase awareness and care of the environment. I felt strongly the signs should reflect this. I chose the used timber from the restoration of Jack’s Hut where I have been staying and I put a lot of time and care into each sign, treating each as an individual art piece. The message being that this is not just a walk, it’s an opportunity to experience something different, to use your senses and connect with nature perhaps in a new way.”
Along the route we will install glowing yellow Te Reo o te Wai listening posts, with QR codes for accessing two minute readings of poetry written by the tamariki that we have worked with over the last school year from Martinborough and Kahutara Schools. Rod composed and produced the background music for each compilation of poems. Listen Here.
As a final celebration for this year’s Te Reo o te Wai journey, on a Sunday in October (just before the storms set in) we co-hosted with the team from Mountains to Sea Wellington and Sam Ludden an Awa after Dark Event. We walked a section of the Riverside Walk with all of our guests before gathering beside the awa where tamariki stood up proud and shared their poetry with over 50 friends and family. As the dusk turned to dark, they explored the awa with Kara, Rachel and Natasha from MtSW and made clay mokomoko (native lizards) with Sam. Thanks to P&K for providing food and to Adi who took the photos.
At some point in the future, when we have secure stock proof fencing in place (enabling safe crossing of bull grazed paddocks) we may open one long walk. For now we are delighted to share two separate walks; The Wetland Walk and The Riverside Walk. Both Walks will officially open on the evening of Friday 14th (November 2025) – 6pm to 8pm. Book Here on the Festival Website.
Thereafter it will be available for anyone to enjoy and we will also continue to run guided walks for those who would like to slow down and experience for themselves Te Reo o te Wai and how it is shaping much of what we do. To access the route map see here.
Words by Jane Riddiford, photos by Adriene Riseley