Ko Hauraki te tama a Kaitara, tētahi o ngā kaingārahu matua o Ngāti Hineira me Te Uri Taniwha o Ngāpuhi. I a ia e tamariki ana, i noho a Hauraki ki te pā o Pukenui, i Te Ahuahu, i te rohe o Pēwhairangi (Bay of Islands). Ko tētahi o ngā wāhine a Kaitara ko Inu o Ngāti Pou; tērā pea ko ia te whaea o Hauraki. He whanaunga a Hauraki ki a Tara o Kororāreka (Russell). I te wā e taitama ana rāua ko tana teina, a Te Kōpiri, i whawhai rāua i te pakanga a Whāingaroa ki te pei i a Ngāti Pou atu i Taiāmai ki Whangaroa ki Te Hokianga.
I te tau 1817 e noho ana a Hauraki i tana kāinga i Motuiti, i raro iho i te awa i Kerikeri; i reira ka haere atu a Te Kēnara (Thomas Kendall) rāua ko John King kia kite i a ia i te 21 o Ākuhata, ki te āwhina i a ia ki te rui witi. I te tau i muri mai, i haere tahi rāua ko tana whanaunga, a Te Morenga, me te ope taua i hou atu ki Rangitāiki, ki te taha uta o Te Teko. I konei pea ka whakarauorahia e Hauraki tētahi wahine o Ngāti Rangiwewehi, ko Te Ao-kapurangi tōna īngoa. I whakahokia e ia ki Pēwhairangi, ka moea hei wahine māna. I aituāhia tā rāua tamaiti. I wera i te ahi. Ka tangohia e Hauraki ko Te Wera hei īngoa mōna.
Tae rawa atu ki Oketopa o te tau 1819 kua hoki kē a Te Wera ki Motuiti, ā, ka haere atu a Te Mātenga (Samuel Marsden), te minita whakahaere o New South Wales, kia kite i a rāua ko Te Kōpiri i te 12 o Oketopa. I te paunga o taua tau ka haere a Te Wera rātou ko Tītore mā me te ope taua mō ngā marama 16, ki te āwhina pea i a Pōmare I i tana whakaekenga i te pā o Te Whetū-matarau, i Te Tai Rāwhiti. I hono atu anō pea ki a Peehi Tūkorehu me tētahi ope o Waikato e whakaeke ana i a Rongowhakaata i Waipaoa, i te rohe o Tūranganui-a-Kiwa (Poverty Bay). E mōhiotia ana i pākia te iwi o Te Māhia me Te Wairoa e Te Wera mā, ka hoki anō rātou ki Pēwhairangi i te marama o Āperira 1821. I whakahokia e Te Wera e 40 ngā herehere. Ko tētahi ko Te Whareumu, he kaingārahu taitama nō Nukutaurua i Te Māhia, me tana tuahine. E kīia ana nā Te Wera i moe te tuahine hei wahine māna.
I te tau 1822 i whakamatea e Tūhourangi i Rotokākahi, a Te Pae-o-te-rangi, he kaingārahu nō Ngāpuhi. Tokorua o ana hoa i puta i taua parekura tuatahi, ka patua e Ngāti Whakaue i Ōhinemutu, Rotorua. I te taenga o te rongo ki Pēwhairangi ka whakatauria mā te ope nui tonu e ngaki ērā mate. Nā Te Wera te kupu kia waiho mō te tau i muri mai. Nōna hoki ērā whanaunga. I tō rātou taenga atu ki Tauranga ka rongo kua taki heke a Te Arawa ki te moutere o Mokoia, i Rotorua. I whakaritea ko te awaawa o Pongakawa te wāhi pai mō te haere atu, ā, ka whakataungia kia kaua ngā whanaunga o Te Ao-kapurangi e noho ana i reira, e whakaekea. I te taenga atu o te ope ki tōna taumata, ka whakaaengia anō kia whakaekea ko Tūhourangi me Ngāti Whakaue anake, ā, kia waiho noa tōna ake hapū. I whakamanangia a Te Ao-kapurangi me Tahu, tētahi atu o ngā wāhine a Te Wera, kia haere ki Mokoia hei takawaenga kia puta mai ngā whanaunga o Te Ao-kapurangi. Kāhore i tutuki. Ka kī atu a Te Ao-kapurangi me haere tahi ia me te ope taua. Māna tōna iwi e whakaahuru.
Ko tā Hongi Hika i kōrero ai ki a Te Mātenga, nā Te Wera rāua ko Pōmare I i whakaeke a Mokoia i mua atu i te taenga atu o te ope nui, ēngari i ākina mai. Nō te haerenga atu kē o Hongi ka tukuna a Te Ao-kapurangi ki te whakaputa i tōna iwi. I muri mai i taua pakanga ka whakahaungia e Te Wera kia tau te rangimārie ki runga i ērā o Ngāpuhi e hiahia tonu ana ki te whawhai ki a Te Arawa. Ka karangatia atu e ia te tama a Te Ao-kapurangi ki tana tāne tuatahi, a Te Hihiko, ki tana taha. Ka mea: 'Taku tamaiti'. 'Titiro, e Ngāpuhi, kua whakaekea taku tuarā e tētahi kei mua i a koutou.' Ka tau te rangimārie ki a Ngāpuhi.
Ka mutu te whawhai i Mokoia, ka wehe a Te Wera rāua ko Pōmare I i a Hongi. I roto i te taua a Te Wera ko tana taokete, a Te Whareumu, i kī taurangitia rā ka whakahokia ki tōna iwi i Te Māhia. Ka haere rātou mā Whakatāne me Ōpōtiki, me te whakamataku i ngā iwi o reira. I Wharekura, i Te Kaha, ka whakaekea a Te Wera, ā, ka whakamatea tana irāmutu, a Marino. I tēnei wā, kua wehe kē a Te Wera rāua ko Pōmare. Ko Te Wera e tere atu ana ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, ka tūtaki ki a Te Kani-ā-Takirau o Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti. Ko te tūmanako a Te Kani-ā-Takirau kia houhia te rongo ki ngā taua mau pū o Ngāpuhi, me kore e āwhina i a ia ki te whawhai ki a Ngāti Porou, nā rātou nei i ngaro ai tōna tupuna a Hinematioro. Ka mea ake a Te Wera, me mātua whakatutuki e ia te whakahoki i a Te Whareumu ki tōna iwi, ka hoki mai ai ki te āwhina i a Te Kani.
Hoe atu ana a Te Wera i tana waka taua, i a Herua, ki Te Māhia. Ka tae te kōrero ki ngā iwi o Te Whareumu, ka whakaae rātou ki te arataki mai i a Te Wera i Pukenui, ki Te Māhia. Ka ūhia he mana ki runga ki a Te Wera. Ka tukuna he whenua i Te Māhia ki a ia.
Ka noho tūturu a Te Wera ki reira, ka tū ia hei kaingārahu mō rātou. Ka tūtaki ia ki a Te Hauwaho o Heretaunga, e takatū ana ki te whakaea i te patunga o tana tuakana, o Hungahunga, e Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri o Heretaunga me Pātea. I tūtaki anō hoki a Te Wera ki te kaingārahu o Te Wairoa, ki a Te Waikōpiro, ko Te Waikōpua rānei tōna īngoa. Ko tōna hiahia kia āwhinatia ia ki te ngaki te mate o tana tamaiti, o Whakapararākau i ngā iwi o Te Wairarapa. Ka whakaae ia ki te āwhina i ēnei kaupapa.
Ka tere whakarunga a Te Wera, a Te Whareumu me Ngāpuhi i te taha o Te Hauwaho me Te Waikōpiro. I Ahuriri i patua ētahi wāhine o Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri. Ka haere te ope taua ki Te Awanga mā Te Kauae-o-Māui (Cape Kidnappers), ka whakaekengia ngā iwi o Kurupō Te Moananui. Ko ētahi o te ope i hiahia ki te whakaeke i te kaingārahu o Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti, a Te Pareihe, ēngari ka ātetetia i Waimārama e Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa. Ka puni a Te Wera me ōna toa ki te pā o Tānenui-a-Rangi, i te awa o Ngaruroro.
Ka whakatata mai a Te Pareihe rāua ko Tiakitai o Ngāti Kurukuru, o Waimārama, me ō rāua toa, ki Tānenui-a-Rangi. Kātahi ka karapotia ohoreretia e ngā toa a Te Wera. Ahakoa te whakaririkatanga, i houhia te rongo, ka whakakotahi ngā ope e rua. I whakaraua ngātahitia e rāua te pā o Te Roto-a-Tara, e nohoia ana i taua wā e Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri me ō rātou haumi o Taupō. Ko tētahi wāhanga o te ope i noho ki te pā me ngā herehere tokomaha; ko ētahi i āwhina i a Tiakitai rāua ko Te Waikōpua kia ea ai ō rāua mate i Te Wairarapa.
I tō rātou hokinga mai ki Te Roto-a-Tara, ka whakakotahi anō ngā ope e rua. I te rongonga i te haerenga mai o Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri mā Tikokino, ka rangatū atu rātou ki te tūtaki, ka raru rātou me ō rātou hoa o Ngāti Raukawa rātou ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa i te pakanga o Te Whiti-o-Tū. I matakite te tohunga a Te Pareihe tērā e whakaekengia a Heretaunga e Waikato me ētahi atu, ka mauria e Te Wera tōna iwi ki Nukutaurua. I whakamomori ia ki te whakahau i a Ngāti Kahungunu ki te whai i a ia, kāhore he hua; ēngari i whai mai a Te Pareihe me Ngāti Te Whatuiāpiti me te tokomaha noa atu o ngā hapū o te rohe mai i Heretaunga ki Te Wairarapa. I muri tata mai ka tae mai tētahi ope taua o Waikato i raro i a Te Paewaka, ka haoa te pā o Ngāti Kahungunu, a Te Pakake, i Ahuriri (Napier).
I a rātou e whakatahi ana ka tūtaki a Waikato ki tētahi ope tino nui i raro i te maru o Mananui Te Heuheu Tūkino II o Ngāti Tūwharetoa. I roto i taua ope nei ko te tokomaha o ētahi iwi atu, e haere mai ana ki te whakaeke i a Te Pareihe me Te Wera nā runga i tō rāua toa i Te Whiti-o-Tū. Ka whai haere tēnei ope i te ara o Te Pareihe; ka tūpono atu ki a rāua ko Te Wera e noho ana i te pā o Ōkūrārenga, i Nukutaurua. E hia ngā wiki i pakanga ai. Ka kore kai ngā kaiwhakangungu o te pā, ka kōhuatia te oneuku i roto i te pā. Ka tapaina te īngoa Kaiuku mō taua pā. Kua tonoa kē he karere ki Te Tai Rāwhiti, kātahi ka pākia ohoreretia ngā kaiwhakaeke e ngā toa o Rongowhakaata me Ngāti Porou. I raru tēnei ope i te ope a Mananui, ēngari i te roanga ka houhia te rongo ki ngā kaiwhakangungu o Kaiuku, ā, ka whakatahi rātou.
I a ia e noho ana i Nukutaurua, ka tae mai te rongo ki a Te Wera i patua ētahi o tōna iwi e Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki. I mauria e ia tōna ope mā ngā waka e toru ki Ūawa, ka hono atu a Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, ahakoa i noho atu tō rātou kaingārahu, a Te Kani-ā-Takirau, ki te whakatika i ngā kai mā ngā ope taua. Ka tere te ope o Te Wera ki Tokomaru, i reira ka whakapaengia te pā o Ngāti Porou i Tuatini.
I ngā rā tōmua o te tau 1824 i āwhina a Te Wera i a Pōmare I ki te muru i te pā o Titirangi i te awaawa o Waiau, ki uta atu o Te Wairoa; ka mate te tino rangatira, a Te Whenuariri. I te wā i nohoia anō e Te Momo-a-Irawaru, o Ngāti Te Koherā (he wāhanga o Ngāti Raukawa) me Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri, te rohe o Te Roto-a-Tara, ka tū anō te ope taua a Te Wera rāua ko Te Pareihe ki te pakanga ki a Te Momo. I hoea ō rāua waka i te awa o Tukituki. I whakamatea a Te Momo i waho i tōna pā i Kahotea, ā, ka tōia ngā waka mā te repo tae noa ki te roto. I whakaekea te pā o Te Roto-a-Tara, ka mau herehere ētahi tāngata rangatira pērā i te kaingārahu taitama o Ngāi Te Ūpokoiri, i a Kawepō.
I ngā tau mutunga o te tekau tau atu i 1820, e ngakia ai te mate o Te Momo-ā-Irawaru, ka ārahina e Te Whatanui a Ngāti Raukawa me ōna haumi o Rangitāne, a Ngāti Mutuahi me Ngāti Pakapaka, mā roto i te tāwhārua o Manawatū. Ētahi o te parekura ko Paeroa rāua ko Kūtia, he wāhine ariki rongonui. Ko Te Wera tētahi o ngā kaingārahu i whakakotahi i ōna toa ki te whiu i a rātou i te pakanga o Te Ruru, i Tahoraiti.
Mō ngā tau maha i muri mai i ēnei mahi whakahirahira, i noho tonu a Te Wera ki Te Māhia hei ariki. I te tau 1832 i whakaaro pea ia ki te hono atu ki te kaingārahu o Pēwhairangi, ki a Tītore, i ana whawhai ki Tauranga. I roto anō hoki ia i ētahi atu pakanga, ko tētahi, i te tau 1836, ko te whawhai ki a Te Whānau-a-Apanui me ētahi atu ki te ngaki i te mate o tana irāmutu, o Marino. Nui atu ana tohu me tana mana kaingārahu toa, ko tana whakaaronui, tana aroha me tana ohaoha ki tana iwi taurima o Te Māhia, me te mano tini o te rohe mai i Heretaunga ki Te Wairarapa i rapu punanga i reira. I te tau 1838 i te noho tonu a Te Wera i Te Māhia; ko te hiahia o te iwi o Tokomaru kia anga a Te Wiremu (William Williams), he mihinare nō te Rōpū Hāhi Mihinare (Church Missionary Society) ki te whakakīkī i a Te Wera, arā, he take rangatira te hohou i te rongo i waenga i a rātou. Ko te mutunga tēnei o te noho rīriri mō ngā tau e hia kē nei te roa.
I mate a Te Wera i te tau 1839. E ai ki ētahi kōrero i hoki ia ki Pēwhairangi i tana tau mutunga; ko tā Takaanui Tarakawa i mate koroua ia, ka huihui katoa ngā hapū o Te Tai Rāwhiti ki te tangi ki a ia. He nui tōna īngoa, he whānui tōna mana. Kāhore kau ia i whakapae mahi kino, kāhore hoki ia i waiho noa i te hunga i raro i tōna maru. Ki te haere mai tētahi karere e tono ana kia āwhinatia ia, i āta tirohia e Te Wera te pūtake o te tono, kia kite a Te Wera i te tika o te tono, ka whakaae ia ki te whakahaere pakanga kia oti wawe ai. He mea tāpuke pea ia ki te puke i Te Ahuahu, i Taiāmai, Pēwhairangi.