It may have passed you by, despite the ongoing announcements, but the Wangapeka Retreat Centre is celebrating 50 years of being on the land and offering retreats. As a newer member to the community I have only been touched by a short part of The Wangapeka’s history. Yet each time I turn into the gates, having made my pilgrimage across the Takaka hill, I feel at home. Welcomed into the sangha of humans who are taking the time to develop insights for the benefit of all beings. So I came, knowing few people, and I left feeling a greater connection to the whenua and the whānau that make up the Wangapeka at this time.
Jane Hobday and team have meticulously organised 3 unique and carefully curated celebrations across the year. On Labour Weekend we gathered to celebrate and turn our eyes and intentions to the future. We gathered after a great storm which felled numerous trees; a reminder to us that change is inevitable and we will continue to gather and tend to the land. People, from toddlers to octogenarians, people who have been coming for years to those for the first time, came and went depending on their capacity and other commitments; each presence adding their unique flavour to the insights we gained.
On Saturday morning we gathered for a sharing circle, opened by Bonni with her deep insights and light laughter. Reminding us of the impermanence of The Wangapeka Retreat Centre, and the deep winds of change that are blowing: we cannot ‘plan’ for anything as we are in the midst of rapid changes. The circle was held by Ronnie and we each took up to five minutes to personally respond to the question: adding their unique flavour to the insights we gained.
“What are your aspirations in relation to the Wangapeka and what are you willing to do to support your aspirations?”
Children’s laughter and play was in the room as we each held the rose quartz and spoke into the circle and our verbal aspirations were transformed into artwork by the most-talented Jacqui Chan who captured our conversation in the piece below:
As ever, we were nourished by delicious food, which fuelled us to take our energy into the land. It was a synchronous blessing as there were many hands on deck to help Kaya and Ethan clear the land before the next retreat. We learnt from Graham that Beech trees are able to shed limbs and continue to grow; for that we are thankful as the beautiful beech dropped their branch upon the driveway rather than to fall forever. It took many hands to clear the driveway and the pathways to the Whare Wānanga as the trees are reaching maturity and the capacity of the separation point granite to hold them is limited. The tamariki made a giant nest from the branches of the lawn – a gentle reminder that beauty can be made from any moment.
Sunday’s focus was upon the intergenerational nature of our community. Ross offered a movement practice on the quad to open our bodymind awareness of those in the space; before we split into groups of our ages to discuss what may be both barriers to us coming to Wangapeka and our unique offerings. We shared these into the collective with a dance: and I am left with one scene. The group of ‘elders’ group clasping their backs, sore knees before collapsing onto the floor; and then creekily and vulnerably helping one another back up. This was the largest group and is perhaps representative of some of the energetics happening in the Wangapeka; those that have been integral to the space in the past 20 years are no longer physically able to give as much as they were. We then shared our insights in intergenerational groups that gave rise to sharing and ideas: I noticed a theme of remembering the pioneering spirit of the Wangapeka, a needing to let go of ideals and structures that hold us back, and celebrating the uniqueness of the Wangapeka as a non-secular space, with so many touched by the whenua. We closed with a pagan spiral dance, the children leading us into the centre where we turned to spiral outwards and to meet each member of this celebration.
Again, we tended to the land on Sunday afternoon. Some keen beans headed up to the Waterfall track to help reclaim it from the pig’s playground and into a path suitable for humans to traverse: spending the time connecting to whenua and in deep conversation. Tim & Ethan had cleared a number of the big gums that had made the Whare Wānanga’s toilets unusable; and due to some minor confusion Mark & I dug not one, but two, new longdrops for the upcoming retreat! The tamariki helped Kaya to prepare the mara kai for planting; and those that needed rest took the opportunity to do so.
By Sunday evening our numbers were smaller, yet the energy and intention was still very much alive: sharing a beautiful Tara dance in the evening. We sat afterwards in meditation, and after our short sit we opened our eyes to find that a huge throne of meditation cushions had been assembled by the youngest in our group. It was such a treasure for us all to share this weekend with whānau: remembering that we are all welcome in this space.
Mark & Kath offered a creative culmination to our exploratory work: Kath leading us in a game to reflect our memories in physical form with a lot of laughter shared. Sitting with intention, we then used our hands and memories to mould clay into forms that represented what had arisen for us. From these unique pieces themes seemed to arise: the presence and appreciation of nature, the form of a basket or bowl; and spirals.
The weekend felt like a celebration, and yet a potent space of connection and openings into what comes next for Wangapeka. Many of the juicy moments, for me, came in the musings between these intentional activities and are unable to be summarised into a simple collection of words on a page. At one quiet moment I took time to look at the photo albums from back in the Wangapeka’s inception: a grassy hillside adorned by simple A-frame buildings. People sitting in intentional stillness. People gathering with the intention to gain compassion and knowledge with non-clinging awareness, for the benefit of all beings. And from this simple intention, a retreat centre full with all its beauty and offerings, frailty and limitations has been borne, continuing to make immeasurable ripples into this world. Who knows what this intention may bring next?
Understandably, many of those who have been touched, or are deeply involved with the Wangapeka Education Trust weren’t there; and it would be lovely for those reading this to also consider the question:
“What are your aspirations in relation to the Wangapeka and what are you willing to do to support your aspirations?”