​DOMINIKA WHITE

COASTAL HOME

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New Zealand's famous rugged west coast beaches are home to Te Kauhoe Wano. He grew up surfing the waves in Taranaki and today shares his passion with his whanau further north in Piha, west Auckland. DOMINIKA WHITE spoke to the television producer and 2008 Maori Sports Media award winner for Maori Television’s Hyundai CODE.

 

Te Kauhoe (TK) Waro's hold-waling tune on his mobile beats out Bob Marleys Could you be love? The related reggae melody seems to suit the surfie lifestyle of the boy from Taranaki. Hailing from Te Atiawa and Taranaki and Taranaki iwi. Te Kauhoe and his wife Piri have settled with their three boys along the rugged coast of Piha, overlooking the iconic Lion Rock.

 

The couple own two houses, one in New Plymouth and the other in Avondale, and they rent out the Piha property which they have been calling home for the past two years.

 

“We were eyeing it up because it was right on the hill and you could tell looking up at it, you’d have a good view of the sea” says Te Kauhoe.

 

The house boasts three bedrooms, two upstairs and one downstairs, and a majestic view, not just of Piha’s black sand surf, but also of the red afternoon sun hitting Lion Rock.

 

"Those west coast sunsets.” Te Kauhoe says dreamily. Throughout his life, he's never strayed too far from the west and says he always makes a point of being there to see the day's final moments. The house has a well-placed verandah for viewing it, connected to the lounge on the west side, the deck juts out toward the sea.

 

Leading into the house are stairs with wetsuits that hang like skinned marlin on its handrails. Surfing has been in Te Kauhoe's blood for 30 years, and he has passed this talent down to his three sons Tunui (14) Waretiri (13) and Timu (11).

 

The house is only five minutes from the surf (although Te Kauhoe says he would rather it be more like two) and the boys usually go out to the beach whenever the conditions allow for it. "If there’s surf everyday of the week, we'd surf," he enthuses.

 

Piri and Te Kauhoe make good use of the open air sea breeze. Around the house are a basketball hoop, table tennis set and a skateboard ramp - all of which the kids make good use out of. And even though Piri doesn’t surf herself, she enjoys getting involved. “She likes the boys to be active,” says Te Kauhoe.

 

‘It’s been a great place for the boys because they need a bit of space and a bit of room. Out in Piha it’s a bit more rural and they have more freedom.’

 

The family has lived around the area for three years now and believes staying there is beneficial for their kids. “It’s been a great place for the boys because they need a bit of space and a bit of room,” he says as he contrasts the house with their previous lodgings in Avondale. "Out in Piha it's a bit more rural and they have more freedom.”

 

When Piri and Te Kauhoe aren't relaxing in their permanent summer house, they spend their time working at their production company Toa TV as joint directors. Te Kauhoe and his twin brother Whare produce a weekly surfing travel show on Maori TV called Te Hikoi Mahanga. Te Kauhoe says although he appreciates the traveling, he looks forward to getting back home to his whanau.

 

“It’s always great to head back to Piha, but just to get back to whanau, to Piri and the boys, is good for me."