Moko Tepania: Far North Mayor on the region being back open after major storms

After a difficult few years following major storms, the Far North is back open and ready for summer. 

The Mangamuka gorge opened in time for Santa and once again connects the district and its two largest centres. 

The gorge had been closed for over two years. 

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania joins the show to discuss all the region has to offer. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks'd be follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
What's happening in your neck of the woods? Summer with
the Mess?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes, and heading right to the top of the country
now for the latest installment of Summer with the Mess.
It's full of beautiful, secluded beaches with plenty of small
communities to spend your summer. And it's had a difficult
few years following major storms damaging roads, but the region
is back open and ready for summer. And Far North
Mayor Mocho Tapania is with me.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Now.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Good morning, Hey kyoder Cyoder. So how's how's the Far
North preparing for summer?

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (00:49):
The Far northors ready to go for summer. I mean
it's like bloody parrot, I say. And I get to
be the mayor of this place. It's fantastic.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hello.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
Have you been there for Oh we're two years in now, Yeah,
my training first year now taking the training meals offset
a really awesome years the mayor.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
Now, but what was it like when you actually when
you started. Was it what you sort of anticipated the
job would be or was there a whole lot of
things that like, oh my goodness, Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Do you know what Because the previous to meet John
Carter JC, he is mere for nine years, three terms,
but you know, seasoned politician. And I was like, you know,
how do you prepare for something like this? And I
was like, oh mate, And you know he speaks to
fluent friends and says, oh, i'sn't done this for you know,
this long, and you can't actually prepare for it. He's like,

(01:37):
you will always be taken by surprise, so always be
ready for that.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
So I guess you just got to turn up and
deal with everything as it hits you.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
Oh yeah. I mean I'm lucky enough to be the
mayor of the final the greatest district in all of
Altor and New Zealand. I'm here to serve seventy five
thousand people who call this beautiful place home. And so
you turn up every single day ready to give your
best and give your all for them.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Okay, for those that are thinking they're not sure what
to do over the summer, and they're thinking, you know,
I haven't been to the far North, tell them, tell
us or them why they should pay a visit.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
I say, do you know what? I say? This one
of the surprising things about this job is men that
I didn't think about before end is that I get
to swear in every new citizen in the finals district
and every single citizenship ceremony. You know, I reiterate the
fact that amazing your New Zealand citizens know my height
and my welcome to the final But you're also far

(02:31):
North citizens, fully and truly now. And why we love
our district is because there is no place house in
all of altaid or that is, there's culturally and historically
significant is ours because we're the birthplace of the nation,
the Bay of Islands, White Tangy, where the declaration of
independence in the Treaty of White Tangy resigned. Where the
home of Hokkiyanga in the west, where our ancestor Cooper,

(02:54):
the first to fine New Zealand and the riot he
settled on the hoky Youanger Harbor, where the home of
Ted Eddinger why doer Cape Braanger itself, where our souls,
according to our cultural narrative, will travel to to pass
on into the afterloft. Like how cool is all of that?

Speaker 2 (03:10):
Well it sounds pretty good actually. On the citizenship I've
been to a few sort of official ceremonies like that.
They're quite They're quite moving, aren't they when you see
people becoming part of a new country.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
Oh, it's do you know my favorite thing? Yeah, it
is my absolute favorite. And I say this every time.
It's specifically swearing in assi is New Zealand citizens like
this is something really beautiful When an Australian is like,
I'm going to be in New Zealander and I'm like,
it's because you know the wallaby sucking you want to support?

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Do you say that in your speech?

Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Yeah every time.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Hey, you be pretty thrilled about them. The among a
mook of gorge reopening after years of issues. That's exciting,
isn't it.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
Oh, it's been. It's been awesome to finally get our
Munga look at gorge open because close for like I
wasn't even there when gorge closed in State at State
Highway one. Munga look at gorge and it connects our
district like we are a united Far North with the
opening of the Mungamuka Gorge. Our two of our largest centers, Kaique,

(04:16):
which is the seat of our district. The final council
headquarters are there, and Katya, our largest town and the
actual Finals. You know, we're now reunited. It's only an
hour to travel between the two centers. But that closed,
it's like an hour and a half hour, forty five
two hours, Like it becomes untenable. All of our goods,
trucks can now travel through, all of our money head

(04:38):
you can travel through and Katya, oh my gosh, twenty
beaches within twenty minutes of the town. It's absolutely syntactic
having that gorge.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
Hey, what do your local go to spots?

Speaker 3 (04:51):
I honestly this is where some a far northern is
going to listen to this and be like, you better
mention my area. You better mention my area. I'm the
mayor of seven two hundred square kilometers of area. The
Finals is bloody massive, and every single valley you'll travel
through as unique. There are so many beautiful go to spots.

(05:11):
But I am going to.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Uh yeah, come on to go on a.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
State credit all right, yep. I'm from Mattimty, which is
a piney settlement like think about like the end of
the world, like a dirt road, no reception, and you
get there and it's the like Wida, the Mona, the beach,
the our like it will just restore your soul and
it's a beautiful place where you can go and like
pick muscle where ask can you go and pick muscles

(05:37):
off the rocks and like heavy feed right there in
swimming rock pools. So that's my definite go to.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
Hey brilliant, Hey Molcol, thanks so much for your time
and wishing you all the best for a fantastic summer
in the Far North.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
Hey, thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
What a great spokesperson for the Far North, wasn't he
Marcheol Tapani or the mayor and love that but about
swearing in the assis and just fantastic.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
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