My Māori Connection
This adventure begins with my father's childhood friend, Roly, who travelled to New Zealand and married a 'Child of the Mist,' a Māori lady named Raiha, from the Iwi Ngāi Tūhoe and Hapu Ngāti Haka/Patuheuheu.
I grew up with his 'airmail blues' arriving through our letter box and filling my parents home with vivid stories of hunting, fishing & horse riding.
He described the land, the weather and wrote about everyday life in his wifes whanau, especially her sisters' healing clinic in Waiohau, Bay of Plenty —a place Roly affectionately calls 'the centre of the universe'. As soon as I had the chance, I packed my rucksack and headed to this distant land. Having just completed my massage training the year before, I was young and slightly out of my depth. Although I had many questions, for some reason I never ask them!
It wasn’t until I met Ruatau in 2025 that my questions about Maori healing started to get answered.
In the summer of 2025, I travelled to the North of the Netherlands to experience 'Kura Waka,' a remarkable retreat centre created by the talented Michaela Van der Meer. It was here that I followed the call & took part in a Traditional Romiromi & Mirimiri healing bodywork training under the tutorlidge of Ruatua Perez & Rachael Alamein GIller. Where we explored the intricacies of Takutaku, Kaupare, Mirimiri, Romiromi and the Whatumanawa. These days of training together were transformative, equipping us with practical tools alongside spiritual development, with special emphasis upon the importance of spiritual safety for both the practitioner and the client.
Ruatua Perez, a respected Rongoaa Maori practitioner who trained for over a decade with the late Pāpā Joe Delamere, gently guided us in an immersive wananga teaching us the philosophy with great detail, stories, anicdotes, warmth & humour. I believe this training has granted me a grounded introduction to the philosophies and practices of traditional healing, including Mirimiri and Romiromi bodywork, whilst supporting me to connect deeply with myself and deepening my intuition.
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