Lake Nga Roto
Lake Ngā Roto is tapu (sacred) to our local mana whenua and is cherished by the wider community, and it’s not hard to see why.
Karla Rose
Historically Ngā Roto provided settlers with seasonal opportunities to fish and was surrounded by multiple pā, all of whom would have utilised the resources its waters provided. Today, Ngā Roto remains a treasured recreation space utilised by rowers and sailors for water sports, used seasonally for duck hunting. It boasts a beautiful track, one of my personal favourites, where walkers, runners, and cyclists can safely exercise, with children and happy pooches in tow.
Unfortunately, despite ongoing care, water quality remains a serious concern. Swimming, fishing, or allowing pets to drink from the lake can pose serious health risks, and at times has even resulted in track closures. Waipā District Council openly acknowledges that the issues facing Ngā Roto are long-standing, intergenerational, and complex.
That is the thing about water. Once contaminated, its effects spread far beyond the source, impacting the health and wellbeing of the entire community as well as the environment immediately surrounding it.
Water holds deep significance within the Christian faith and is used not only as a visual representation of our freedom from sin but also as an acknowledgement of Jesus as our Lord and saviour. The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 58:11) points to Jesus when he shares prophetically about springs of water, and waters that do not fail, while in John 4:14 Jesus promises to give us a personal spring of water, himself.
Nga Roto
Just as unhealthy water causes lasting harm, healthy water brings lasting healing. It quenches thirst, cleanses, and gives life.
I believe our lives mirror the life of Ngā Roto ; as with the lake, we have been set apart as sacred by a God who loves us, but in the same way, the impact of the world we live in can leave us worn down. For example, the words of others, even when they mean well, like an algal bloom, may bring harmful reactions to the surface.
Sometimes, we carry burdens that were manageable when small but have since grown beyond what we can bear. Like an invasive species overtaking a lake, these things crowd out the life we were meant to live.
When we are not treated with love and respect, we can be left with a mess that we may struggle to clean up on our own. Just as the council works to restore Ngā Roto, we too can find some relief in friends, family, community, and professional services. Ultimately, we need more than surface-level solutions. We need a source of living water.
Ngā Roto will continue to be a beautiful sacred space, but perhaps now is the time for us as a community to support its guardians, care for its waters, and become sources of living water ourselves. As we work to heal the lake, may we also reflect on what needs healing within us and find renewal through the one who gives us water that never runs dry.
Nga Roto
