Story: Māori housing – te noho whare

This eerie photograph shows a kāinga at Kaiwhaiki, on the banks of the Whanganui River. The image was captured by a colonial soldier during the 1860s wars between Māori and colonial forces. The absence of residents suggests the village had been abandoned before the arrival of his troop. In the background is a wharenui (meeting house) and a raised pātaka (storehouse). The other buildings are wharepuni, but are distinguished from pre-colonial structures by their higher walls.