The first wharenui to stand at Aotearoa, was Takihiku I. All hapū of Ngāti Raukawa descend from Takihiku, who was the youngest child of Raukawa and Tūrongoihi. Takihiku married Maikukutara, a mokopuna of Māhanga, the eponymous tupuna of Ngāti Māhanga. They had five sons, Tamatehura, Wairangi, Upokoiti, Ngakohua and Pipito. When Takihiku I was burnt by a bush fire, our whanaunga down the line built Takihiku II at Pua o Tau (close to Levin), sadly it became derelict and dilapidated .

Tūpuna moved between the kāinga surrounding Aotearoa and Rāwhitiroa freely - many tūpuna had homes both at Aotearoa, and Ōwairaka, and thus Takihiku III was built at Rāwhitiroa where he stands today . Regardless of there being two marae, the whānau of both of our marae are one people.

Taumaruanui High School will be competing in the Tainui Waka Secondary School Kapa Haka Regionals on the Saturday.

A Social Studies class from Western Springs College (based in Auckland), is doing a trail of the Māori Land Wars. They will start from Rangiriri and eventually make there way to Ō-Rākau.

A programme started in 2016 as a holiday programme for the tamariki of Raukawa ki Wharepūhunga, has grown to become a learning programme on the Marae. These programmes coincide with the school holidays, and is run by our very own whānau.