A former city councillor and frustrated tour bus operator wants to haul Tauranga's ceremonial waka out of obscurity and place it on The Strand extension where part of the city's culture can be admired.

Te Awanui waka is currently deteriorating under its similarly dilapidated whare waka beside The Strand, tucked away north of the Dive Crescent rail crossing.

Moving the waka is being suggested as an interim measure. Photos: File.

Former city councillor and current tour bus operator Murray Guy says he has to tell his passengers to have their cameras ready as he drives past, because he is not permitted to stop.

'I never understood the reasoning that prohibited me from parking to show tourists our region's waka/war canoe, and to explain the history of it,” says Murray.

'And it's not just that. We do it all around our city. We spent a few million down at the harbour bridge at sulphur point. There's a wonderful cultural component to that second harbour bridge, none of which I can stop at.”

He's referring to the unique Takitimu waka's ceremonial anchor stone and memorial, adjacent to the Mission cemetery and Otamataha pa site.

Murray wants to shift Tauranga's ceremonial waka Te Awanui, as well as whare waka – the canoe's shelter house – onto the strand extension by the boat ramp so more people will be able to see it.

'We have the structure and I have absolutely no doubt that with a little bit of community support, we could move that at no cost to the ratepayer,” he adds.

'It could be done very quickly and efficiently and in time for the cruise ship season.

Murray Guy has suggested moving the waka to a more prominent location, near The Strand's boat ramp.

'The boat ramp is there. The concrete pad is there. Cut it off, put a flatbed truck under it, go 150 metres, drop it on the ground.”

Murray insists he wouldn't move it to that location on a permanent basis, but would fix it temporarily 'until such time as our community could afford to meet their dreams.”

A comprehensive whare waka project involving a two waka shelter and associated carving school for The Strand extension was dropped by council from the Long Term Plan earlier this year.

As Te Awanui is very rarely launched, direct access to the water is not as important as better access for tourists, says Murray. Somewhere near the cargo shed or even the open space beside the Trinity Wharf hotel are alternatives.

Te Awanui was carved in 1973 as a community waka on the request of the then city council which wanted a community waka for ceremonial occasions.

The concept of a ceremonial waka for the city of Tauranga took shape when, prior to the visit of Queen Elizabeth in 1970, the city fathers looked around for such a waka to meet the Royal Yacht Britannia and escort it to moorings.

No such canoe seemed available, and the idea was born of building a waka that would belong to the city and to the people of Tauranga so that, when the need arose, ceremonies could be carried out.

The waka at its current location at the end of The Strand.