Skip Content

Auahi kore is a whānau affair for Rewhenua (left) and Gina Melody-Roore and their children Mataora (left) and Hinematariki. 

Six years ago Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi Gina Melody-Roore quit smoking and she’s now encouraging whānau and friends to follow in her auahi kore footsteps.

The Porirua-based Kiriwhanake business partner for Te Kei wants people who smoke to “think seriously” about themselves and the health of their whānau.

“Think about the things that are important to you. The ones you love. Those people who love you. Those were the reasons I gave up,” she said.

Gina’s commitment to the smokefree kaupapa inspired her husband Rewhenua to take on the smokefree Wero Challenge in 2014 and throw away the cigarettes for good.

Rewhenua - a former wānanga tauira on the waka ama course at Papaiōea in 2004 - is enjoying an improved fitness and general wellbeing since he kicked the smoking habit.

The couple’s saving of about $100 a week, which would have been spent on purchasing tobacco, is another smokefree positive.

“Back in my smoking days it seemed to be the ‘in thing’ to do but now I hear whānau say that the smokers are now the minority,” says Gina.

She is thrilled her tamariki Hinematariki (4) and Mataora (2) are being raised in a smokefree home.

Gina and Rewhenua from Marton, Rangitikei applaud the smokefree stance the wānanga took on June 22 and hope the proactive initiative encourages even more kaimahi, tauira and whānau to take up an auahi kore lifestyle.

 Back to news & events

Published On: 14 July 2015

Article By:



Other Articles

  • 15 October 2025

    Building a beauty brand through education and drive

    At just 21, Maata Morrell-Dzilic is building a thriving beauty brand with the support of business education from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Discover how her passion, determination, and study in small business and project management are fuelling her entrepreneurial success.

  • 08 October 2025

    From paddling to politics: a journey for reo, rights and representation

    Bevan O’Connor’s journey from waka ama to the political stage is powered by his passion for te reo Māori and Māori rights. Discover how his studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and deep connection to te ao Māori are shaping his campaign for the Takitimu Māori Ward.

  • 23 September 2025

    HRC Maternal Health Inequity Report

    New research led by Dr Sarah Lockwood highlights critical gaps in maternity care during Cyclone Gabrielle, urging the Government to include midwifery and Māori leadership in emergency planning. The report calls for equity-focused reforms to protect pregnant women and whānau in climate crises.

  • 18 September 2025

    From Wānanga baby to Wānanga tauira

    Ripekka Matthews’ lifelong connection to Te Wānanga o Aotearoa began as a child and continues today through her te reo Māori studies. Discover how her journey from wānanga baby to tauira reflects whānau legacy, cultural identity, and the transformative power of education.