The Mighty Waikato by Colleen Hills

SummaryThe Mighty Waikato by Colleen Hills is a 2012 Memoir and Local History Competition entry.

Please note: This article was originally part of Tauranga City Library's 'Tauranga Memories' website (2011-2020). To your right the 'Archived Kete Link', if present, will take you to a snapshot of the original record. Tauranga Memories was made of several focus areas, called 'baskets'. This article was part of the New Zealand Society of Authors Bay of Plenty basket. It was first licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 New Zealand License at http://tauranga.kete.net.nz/new_zealand_society_of_authors_bay_of_plenty/topics/show/1558. Initially created 16/10/2013, it underwent 9 edit, the last edit being 18/10/2016. Editors included: in this case only the original author. The original article may have included links, images etc that are not present here.DescriptionThe Mighty Waikato

Colleen Hills

I float like a leaf on the river

Aimlessly drifting along

And I listen to tales that it tells me

That fill my heart like a song

Of the days before they built bridges

Where now four bridges span;

Where before what today we call progress

Long before the coming of man.

Where are the tui and bellbirds,

The kiwi that foraged its banks?

They are gone and instead I see pathways

And houses and buildings in ranks.

Of the days when all of its waters

Were clear crystal and shimmering blue,

When mighty and proud Maori warriors

Paddled to war in their waka canoe.

What has happened to all of its mana,

Its grandeur and great majesty?

Listen and hear what it’s saying:

I’m Waikato and still flowing free.

Flowing past Tirangawaiwai,

The place where the two rivers meet

Like the two races of our New Zealand,

One water, one people - unique.

Now many, many years later

Time has gone and there must be no pity.

We’ve built bridges and beautiful gardens

That bring tourists to visit out city.

So stop for a moment when passing;

Take a break from the stresses of life.

Men take your children, your mothers,

Your brothers, your sisters, your wife.

Sit on the banks of the river

And let it tell tales to you,

For the river is us - it’s Waikato.

Let’s give it the honour it’s due.

Relates To

PlacesTauranga Memories (2011-2021) - PlacesEvents2012 Memoir and Local History CompetitionKeywords2012 Memoir and Local History CompetitionColleen Hills

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AuthorColleen HillsArchived Kete Linkhttps://perma.cc/A7GL-E5V4Type of ContributionCommunity storyTaxonomyStories | Places

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The Mighty Waikato by Colleen Hills