Harakeke Weaving

Harakeke is New Zealand flax, a big fan of strap leaves found in wetlands, gardens and roadsides, and it is not related to the flax that makes linen. Raranga, the weaving of it, produces kete baskets, whariki floor mats, cordage and, at the far end of skill, korowai, the cloaks finished with feathers or tassels that take months and are worn on serious occasions. Muka, the silky fibre inside the leaf, is stripped out with the edge of a mussel shell. Harvesting follows tikanga: only outer leaves are cut, the central rito shoot and the leaves flanking it are left standing, and offcuts go back to the plant.

What you actually see

• Korowai - feathered cloaks in museum collections, and worn at graduations and formal occasions.
• Kete - the everyday woven baskets, from rough field work to fine patterned pieces.
• Muka stripping - the fibre pulled from a leaf with a shell edge, usually shown in demonstrations.
• Harakeke growing - the plant itself in wetlands and gardens, with tall flower stalks in spring.

When to go

Any time of year. Cultural centres in Rotorua run weaving demonstrations daily, and museums in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch keep cloaks on display, though light-sensitive pieces rotate out of the cases. Workshops through community centres and marae are small, run on set dates and book out early. Spring brings the flower stalks and the tui feeding on them.

Honest expectations

A beginner's kete takes several hours and looks like a beginner's kete, which is rather the point of making one. Workshops are infrequent and fill fast, so this needs planning rather than a spare afternoon. Korowai are not casually for sale, and anything cheap in a souvenir shop is machine-made from imported material. Museum textiles are kept dimly lit for preservation.

Nearby

Rotorua's cultural centres combine weaving with carving; wetland reserves near most cities grow harakeke in quantity.