Te Tii is the centre of Ruatahuna. Te Tii is a complex which umbrellas a number of different businesses and services. These services are important and integral for Ruatahuna. The businesses are as follows:
General Store
The Te Tii general store services not only the community but also those passing through. It’s a convenient store with a range of general food products, drinks, confectionaries, frozens, chilled goods as well as rural products. The rural products mainly service the community, the products include tyre repair kits, tools and vehicle oils. Cafe
The cafe provides a range of hot beverages, restaurant quality meals with a Tūhoe spin on it. It provides a service that we currently don’t have, more importantly it delivers a sense of pride for Ruatāhuna, to be able to produce a quality meal that would otherwise have to drive to Rotorua for. The café provides an area for people and whanau to congregate, catch up with each other? When the Café is open, Te Tii is buzzing with laughter, chatter, whānau, happy people and smiling faces. Gallery
The gallery showcases local talent and skills – although still very much in a development phase it aims to provide an opportunity for locals to generate an income by utilising the talent and skills that they have? Chalets
The four chalets, one with disability access boast luxury in a calming and isolated setting. It delivers a much needed service as many homes in Ruatahuna are overcrowded and substandard. It provides accommodation for those whānau wanting to come home to connect, visit or attend events in the valley. It also offers much needed accommodation for contractors and service providers to our local businesses as well as visitors travelling through. Petrol Pumps
Our petrol pumps operate 24/7, it is not only essential for locals and local businesses but also for visitors travelling through, the next service in Murupara is 54-60min away or Waikaremoana 80min away. Laundry
Our laundry service provides a service mainly utilised by locals and whānau who travel home for tangihana and events. Te Tii Ngahere
The small native forest behind the Chalets was an area historically used by the community for recreation, picnics and gatherings. It had been neglected for many years – a place of skulking and over-grown with introduced weeds. It now has a small trail, that is marked for night walking and envisaged later on, as fully accessible. The Hinepukohurangi Medical Centre will have a direct connection to this area, catering for holistic healing practices. Further development of more adventurous trails, addition of multi level platforms and installation of art, education and lighting, will hopefully bring life, laughter and engagement from not only the community, but all manuhiri that arrive in Ruatāhuna. Summary
Te Tii is a place that cares for and nurtures the people of Ruatāhuna, in a number of ways. It represents a neutral place for whānau living remote from Ruatāhuna and those searching for their roots. It is a public space that manuhiri from near and far can engage, be a part of and appreciate; Ruatāhuna. It is a place of both traditional and modern trade and exchange; a place of building and maintaining relationships.
