My Kāinga My Castle

Television (Full Length) – 2000

Rotorua may be famous for its picture perfect scenery, but dig a little deeper under the boiling mud and you'll find a history bubbling with warfare, adventure and romance. This TV One documentary, presented by Te Arawa's own Sir Howard Morrison, traces the iwi's origins —from a fight over a beloved dog in Hawaiki, to the shores of Maketū in the Bay of Plenty. Morrison travels around the Rotorua region visiting important historical sites like Mokoia Island and his home marae at Ōhinemutu, on the shores of Lake Rotorua. Paul Gittins (Epitaph) directed the one-off special.

When I was a boy, I loved the myths and legends of King Arthur and the knights in shining armour; the challenges, the battles and the castles.... well, I’ve got a castle and I’ve got some good stories too. This is my castle, Ōhinemutu Pā.
– Sir Howard Morrison