Restoration project future-proofs Opepe waka

An important restoration project has ensured the Opepe waka, the centrepiece of the Tūwharetoa Gallery at the Taupō Museum, can be admired for years to come.

The 15m waka, made from one mighty totara log, was originally found at Opepe in the 1950s and was outside, exposed to the elements, for years next to the Taupō Police Station. It was relocated to Taupō Museum in 2006 but had become very fragile due to its age. It was at high risk of further deterioration due to the drying out process and the unstable environmental conditions.

In 2018, conservator Rose Evans and Tautahanga Rameka were called upon to begin a project to preserve the waka, the first stage of which involved the removal of lichen and bacterial growth.

A recommendation was made to create new supports for the waka, which better fit its shape, as the current supports did not provide good conservational care.

That step was completed last week with the waka blessed, raised, treated and new custom-made supports installed. Taupō Museum displays officer Piata Winitana-Murray says it was a long time coming after the Covid-19 pandemic caused several delays.

“We were going to start in 2020 and now that it’s done it is a little surreal,” she says.

“We’re really happy and excited. There was a lot to consider with this project. We had to make sure raising the waka and putting it on the new supports did not damage or alter it in any way and ensure tikanga Māori was followed as appropriate. We worked really closely with Tūwharetoa representatives throughout.

“We were really eager to make sure every step of the restoration was completed in the right way. We look at the waka as a symbol of the culture on the water in the past and this waka is symbolic of that. It’s a popular feature of the museum and the size of it is quite spectacular.”

The project could not have been completed without Auckland conservator Rose Evans, Wellington mount maker Dennis Feaver and local engineer Morgan Tunnicliffe, of AG Industrial.

Ms Evans was responsible for treating the waka, to help preserve and strengthen it, and says from the original condition report to choosing the right types of solvent and adhesives, it was a big project.

“You have to take an absolutely incredible amount of care on a project like this,” she says.

“We’ve had really rigorous conversations with Tūwharetoa kaumātua and people from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to make sure this was done right. The goal was to strengthen the waka without changing its aesthetic.”

She says it is an honour to be part of a project which ensures the longevity of such a significant piece of history.

You can check out the finished product yourself between 10am and 4.30pm each daily at the Taupō Museum.