Spa Hotel Wharenui for sale.

The following appeared in the Rotorua Daily Post on Friday 9 December 2011.
The sale of the privately owned wharenui Te Tiki a Tamamutu in Taupo is still being negotiated.
Tenders for the privately owned wharenui at The Spa Hotel closed on 25 November and it was reported a tender price of between $5 and $12 million has been accepted. Of importance and one of the reasons why the wharenui was being sold was the present owners wanted it to go to the best people, who understood how to look after it.
Both Te Arawa and Tuwnaretoa had claims to the wharenui. Tene Waitere who with his mentor Wero Taroi carved the wharenui Te Taki a Tamamutu in the 1860’s.
Te Tiki a Tamautu which is regarded as being of national importance was commissioned by chief Hohepa Tamamutu of Oruanui, it has 44 carved figures, panels and pillars. It was the last house carved by the master carver Wero Taroi. Chief Hopea Tamamutu sold it to a European when it was only partly completed. It then became part of The Spa Hotel complex.

Those of us who have been to RNZAA meetings at Taupo will remember this very distinctive building.