Episode 52 - Pukemon, gotta catch em all, Part Three  Welcome to the Final Boss battle. Anyone who’s faced the final Boss at the end of a game for the first time knows what happens next. Game over… game over… you get the picture. But for Whero and his son Mikaere, they suspect that "game over" for them will literally mean… game over. The end. They will need to work together, old school and new, if they are to have any chance of making it through what seems to be a game that is within the spirit of Pukemon… evolving. They will need to put all the clues together if they are going to figure this last challenge out. The real question is: who is the antagonist, the baddie? I’ll give you a clue… it's not who you think. Final round. Fight!  T.A. Whero 

Episode 51 - Pukemon Ultra Son, Part Two  Mobile games are fun. They can be the perfect release after a hard day's work or even while you're still at work… when the boss is not looking, of course. But what happens when your game comes alive and the little characters in your game crawl out of your phone and start attacking you for real? Is this the latest tech like Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality, simply called “Reality”? The pint-sized Māori Pukemon warriors called Mohoa seemed pretty real after Whero had his car roof redecorated. Then there's the strange greenstone tititourea that materialised after the Mohoa were defeated at the McDonald's drive-through. Their weakness? A Big Mac and fries. BTW, Whero has a major weakness… a Big Mac and fries. So, what or who’s next? Get ready for the next round! T.A. Whero

Episode 50 - Pukemon Whero, Part One   This story is about a 50-something year old former-gamer with 9 kids and 9 mokopuna. Oh, hold up, that’s me! I didn’t set out to make it about me, but I was there when Space Invaders hit Aotearoa. I spent most of my time in arcades, making me the foremost 80’s arcade expert, so it just made sense, hence the Whero at the end of the title. But, the Whero also plays on the game name, Pokemon Red. We have to jump forward a few decades, of course, to get to Pokemon, which of course means pocket monsters. I know! But it was one of my moko who came up with the title "Pukemon". He was doing the little kid thing, making up his own little waiata, which only had one word in it, "Pokemon". Except he was saying "Pukumon", and I thought, "Hey, Pukoro monsters, Pocket monsters, same thing." I adjusted the final title though to "Pukemon", as "Pukumon" sounded like monsters in desperate need of Keto… Anyway, this is what I call a whāquel. You know, sequel, threequel, and fourquel in Māori equals Whāquel. And it’s a game/story about gods, monsters, epic battles, and betrayal. Without spoiling any of the stories, all I will say is that all of the taniwhā in these stories are real. Every single one of them. To be honest, I knew some of them; others I had to hunt down... on Google, of course, but hidden under obscure keywords. Some appeared to me as if they were trying to be found. Get ready for realities to merge and blur, where the delicate balance of our world is about to be throttled by a hidden darkness. Long-forgotten taniwhā crawl and slither into our world. Get ready to push the start button. Let's go!   T.A. Whero

Episode 49 - The Rainbow in the Sky (Based on a True Story)  Thirty years ago, I had a strange dream. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was having a premonition, and I didn’t share it with anybody because I didn’t know that what I was dreaming about was about to come true. But you know how these types of visions go, where the details are cloudy at best. I remember that I was in the pool at my house, underwater, looking up at the house. I could make out the pool steps and thought it was odd that I had all my clothes on. I couldn’t move or swim, nor did I feel the need to. Anyway, a year or so goes by, and I’ve forgotten about the vision, and then tragedy strikes, and only then did I make the connection. I thought the dream was about me, that it was me in the pool. I was wrong.  T. A. Whero

Episode 48 - When two iwi go to war (Retelling of an Old Story)  E ai ki ngā kōrero, the battle known as Maikukutea, marks the final confrontation between Manaia and Ngātoroirangi. However, it wasn't so much a battle as it was a slaughter. Ancient tales recount how war canoes of Manaia assailed the pā of Ngātoroirangi on Mōtiti Island. In response, Ngātoroirangi dispatched his war god, Aitupawa, to decimate the taua from Manaia. The devastation was so immense that the sole remnants of the conflict were the bleached fingernails—or the Maikukutea—of the warriors belonging to Manaia, which washed ashore the next day. Yet, what occurred in between? Records are absent. The mystery deepens when considering how those fingernails became bleached, as there are only a handful of plausible explanations, given the circumstances. I promise I won't turn full-on CSI, but I've done my research. This story fills in the missing strands of DNA and to speculate on the fate that befell the ill-starred warriors from Manaia.  T. A. Whero

Episode 47 - Robert and the Totara tree (Based on a True Story) There are many true aspects to this story. Back in the day, when our koroua was young, logging companies would help themselves to trees on Māori land. Our koroua kept shotguns at the ready to scare off would-be thieves. Most importantly, there is something otherworldly in the woods. I'm talking about Fairies and Patupaiarehe. They're everywhere if you know where to look. Many years ago, when we were making pūreke, our rōpū went to harvest harakeke. We came across tiny spiders unlike anything we had ever seen. They were silver, like glitter, and shimmered when the light touched them. They had laid web lines across the harakeke as if they were protecting it. We immediately stopped, and the spiders seemed to smile as we left. When we returned home, we learnt that we had encountered patupaiarehe, the kaitiaki of the harakeke. We were fortunate; other flax gatherers had met far more aggressive Kaitiaki, the kind that leave bite marks and welts. This incident taught us the importance of asking before taking, even if it's on your whenua. But what happens when you're a logging company, it's not your whenua, and you're after the entire forest? T. A. Whero

Episode 46 – Witches, Part Two (Based on a True Story)  When we last left off, three Māori women had been arrested and charged with practicing witchcraft. A formidable armed force is poised to defend the town, while a war party waits for the signal to reclaim the women by force. Standing between the two groups is a koroua who, let's just say, has provoked the soldiers to shoot at him. Big mistake! Shooting him is only going to enrage him further, for this koroua harbours a dark secret he's about to reveal to the soldiers. They're on the verge of learning why one should never cross the Māori. Think you know how this unfolds? Think again! Three witches hanged, right? Yes, but—and there's a significant "but"—listen closely... T. A. Whero

Episode 45 – Witches, Part One (Based on a True Story)  There is an urban legend of three witches who were hanged in the 1800s. They are believed to haunt the current Auckland Domain where the Auckland Museum stands.  There are stories of sightings of tall, slender-man-type figures that have frightened joggers and late-night strollers. Our story begins just before these hangings.  Three Māori women are arrested for making rongoā, or as it was called back then, practicing witchcraft. The women are held under heavy guard in the nearby town. The local Māori have assembled a war party and are poised to strike when an old koroua suddenly appears, halting everyone in their tracks. The soldiers defending the town breathe a sigh of relief and lower their guns. If they knew what the koroua was about to do, they'd run while they still had the chance. T.A. Whero

Episode 44 - The Boy who didn’t wash his hands (Tikanga Based Story)  Why wash your hands when you leave an urupā? As kids, the choice was straightforward: wash your hands or get a kick in the pants from Nan. And with the decision always came a foreboding "beware curse" from Nanny, delivered in a chorus of voices, warning of the dire consequences that might ensue if you neglected this ritual. Nowadays, I gently remind my moko with the sweetest intonation, "Horoia ō ringaringa." Man, what whimps we've become! But what if Nan was right? And yes, I can hear her voice from the other side chiding, "Of course I am, you silly boy!" This tale delves into the repercussions faced by a heedless child (not me!) who disregards Nan's sage advice.  T. A. Whero

Episode 43 - The Rescue (Based on a True Story)  A whanaunga of mine once told me a peculiar story from her early days working in the South Island, where she advised trampers about the weather conditions in the local mountains.  One day, she received a warning on her walkie-talkie about a swiftly approaching stor, which curiously wasn't showing up on any other early warning equipment. The mountain was promptly evacuated, much to the chagrin of several trampers who insisted that, according to their reports, the weather forecast was clear.  Sure enough, the storm hit. Had the trampers continued on their journey, they would have found themselves in grave danger, perhaps even losing their lives.  My whanaunga received a commendation for her quick thinking, which she humbly attributed to the man on the radio. However, when she shared the identity of this man with her colleagues, she was met with an unsettling silence. She vividly recalls her boss's response: "No, you must be mistaken... that's not possible." T. A. Whero

Episode 42 - Pona... Hemi Pona (Based on a True Story)   I'm sending this message encrypted in case it's being monitored. The encryption is so complex that it will appear as a normal message. I knew a koroua who thought he was a spy, code name 0013. The whole shebang. He said he was recruited straight out of the bush, a tough and clever Māori kid with no family ties, making him a perfect candidate for the CIA's black ops program. Our response was just "Oh, that's nice, koro." But then one day, he died, and what followed was subtle, designed to go unnoticed. However, being the observant and sharp-eyed individual that I am, or as some might call me, nosy, there were several alarm bells ringing that all was not as it seemed. Let's just say that moments after his death, a high-ranking military officer made contact. And the person who took the message couldn't recall taking the phone call. Tapped wires? Mind wipe? You be the judge. This story will self-destruct in 13 minutes. T.A. Whero

Episode 41 - The Three Strike Back, Part Two (Retelling of an Old Story)  The race against time is on. Literally! With the fate of the world in the balance and the destiny of all humanity resting on three haututu Māori boys and an irritating little brother, what could possibly go wrong? Well, let's take a quick look at the Three's chances... The Three's plan hinges on the hope that a mythological being, whom no one has ever seen, will show up to help within a tiny window of about 3 seconds. After that, they must somehow challenge the Sun, Tamanuiterā, in open combat, much like Māui did — but without the demigod powers that Māui has. Oh, and they lack the mighty brothers and the magic ropes that Māui had... However, they do have the magic jawbone from Murirangawhenua, though it has a habit of turning into false teeth at the most inopportune moments. The only thing they seem to have in their favour is their makeshift plans held together with bandaids and chewing gum that have miraculously worked so far. Brace yourselves for the Three's final showdown in the very last story of the series. Oops.  T.A. Whero 

Episode 40 - The Three Strike Back, Part One (Retelling of an Old Story)  The boys are still patting down the flames after their last encounter with Mahuika. They, like Māui, were able to entomb her into a Kaikomako tree for all eternity. The boys are counting their lucky stars, having barely made it out alive, when a new threat arrives on the scene: an upset husband named Tamanuiterā! Yes, the very sun in the sky! While Mahuika might have been content with burning the boys to a crisp, the plans of Tamanuiterā are bigger... much bigger. It seems the boys are mirroring the deeds of Māui. The fate of the entire world was at stake in Māui’s battle with Tamanuiterā, and now it could be in the hands of the boys. But fear not. The boys have survived The Ririo, Mahuika, and her 10 children of flame. What’s one more super-being? I’m sure the boys will be just fine. Now, I don’t want to spoil the ending, but FYI: this is the very last story in the series about the three. Oops.  T.A. Whero 

Episode 39 - The Return of the Three, Part Two (Retelling of an Old Story)  So, it was Mahuika!  See, I told you that I told you. Anyway, the boys are still alive, albeit a little crispier. How long can they keep this up? Their blend of luck and Māori boy ingenuity has worked against the fingers of flame, who are really just kids like themselves, but they’re not out of the woods yet... literally! If they do somehow manage to get past the rest of the flame children, they know that they will eventually have to deal with the māmā; Mahuika herself. And believe you me, every Māori boy knows what happens if you’re dumb enough to try and stand up to your māmā – let alone a māmā with godly powers! I feel a song coming on… "It's getting hot in here… so dial 111." I'm not sure if those are the lyrics, but cross your fingers for the boys and their fiery conclusion!  T.A Whero   

Episode 38 - The Return of the Three, Part One (Retelling of an Old Story)  “The Three” are a bunch of likeable non-bullies who are hot off the back of out-playing the Ririo, “the King of the Elves”, thanks to a scary old kuia, a bunch of stones and a bag of chips. Long story.  Now, a strange mushroom cloud of smoke has appeared from within the heart of the dark forest, not too far from their school. While most would run in the opposite direction, “the fearless three” (or as Hemi, the leader of the gang’s irritating little brother might say “the clueless three”), head towards the smoke cloud.  Little do the boys know, they are jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. The burning question (and it's hard to put a finger on it) is: who is the old flame smouldering at the heart of the mushroom cloud waiting to set their world on fire? FYI, I just told you who.   T.A. Whero 

Episode 37 - Picture Picture on the Wall (Based on a True Story)  I knew a girl who was bad news. It turned out she was possessed by a malevolent spirit, but she was also bad news. She was a special kind of nasty and was totally head over heels in love... with herself. She had the whole Snow White's Evil Stepmother thing going on, right down to the mirror... well, in her case, a picture, lots of pictures. She was a real narcissistic piece-of-work, and the pictures were the source of her power. I always thought there was something strange going on with this one picture in particular. I thought it was just me, and then one day, like in that horror movie... it smiled at me.  T.A. Whero

Episode 36 - The Return of Hape (Retelling of an Old Story)  Our world is replete with famous duels of tohunga. The Hokianga Whakapau Karakia is one such encounter. Here in Tūwharetoa, it's the race up Tongariro Mountain between Ngātoroirangi, the tohunga of the Te Arawa waka, and Hapekitūārangi. The race was more of a battle as both used their powers to defeat each other, but it was Ngātoroirangi who vanquished his opponent by freezing Hape in snow and ice. For Hape, it was assumed that he died, the story ends, and there is no further mention of him anywhere. This story imagines what might happen if Hape didn't die."  T.A. Whero

Episode 35 - Funkihi Town (Based on a True Story)  Why or when does an Atua choose to show up, ā-tinana? Through karakia...  perhaps? Or maybe after the death of a noble? You'll know if an Atua is nearby. We often see their presence, especially at tangi, but don't realize it. You might see a greenstone patu run red, or te huingā manu arā manu gathered in unusual groups on a lake. I've seen it all. Sometimes Atua will come a little closer, but so as not to scare the living daylights out of you, they will move stealthily under the cover of fog. Here in Tūwharetoa, it's called Te Huringā Taniwhā. In days gone by, if you were really fortunate, one of the gods might show up at a pakanga, drawn to the bloodlust of a warrior in full rage mode, or like in our story, a warrior in mid-battle... on the dance floor.  T.A. Whero

Episode 34 – Mauri (Based on a True Story)  When a Wharenui is built, someone dies and becomes the Mauri for the whare. This is the old way of our people. Our family has always wanted to build a Wharenui, but they hesitate because of this and the randomness of who is chosen, so to speak. Sometimes our tipuna would avoid losing one of their own by choosing the person or people (often called a sacrifice) who would become the Mauri. I know of a whare, an old whare here in Tūwharetoa, where four slaves were given as the Mauri for the whare. One was buried alive underneath each corner of the whare. The question of Mauri and how it works, how it passes from a person to a whare, is often shrouded in mystery, and most either are afraid to ask or don't even care how it works. I care. This story is the beginning of the answer.   T.A. Whero

Episode 33 - The Caveman (Based on a True Story)  Caves are the ancient burial sites of our people and should be treated in exactly the same way as an Urupā. Because we have Western practices and are so used to burying our dead in the ground, most of us have forgotten the old practices of hiding bones in caves and among the rocks. The kupu of the old ways still remains... tūpāpaku. We use this for the "body" nowadays, but it really means to sit up in the smallest of ways, i.e., the fetal position, and this is how our people were positioned when they died. So, what happens if you walk into a cave and find a waka huia full of bones or a skeleton buried in the old fetal position? You moonwalk the heck out of there. Bones don't take kindly to being disturbed. This story is about a group of kūare tourists who find out what happens when you tutū with the dead.  T.A. Whero