Manu Ora

26/02/2026

Yesterday we farewelled and celebrated the life of a truly great gentleman.

John was a respected surgeon, who treated his patients holistically, with great care and kindness, always centred on each person’s needs and involving their family every step of the way.

Āe… without even knowing it, John practiced medicine through an ao Māori lens, with a clear focus on whānau-centred hauora.

John supported his own whānau in the same way, and has been a supporter and advocate for the Manu Ora kaupapa from the outset.

Last year, when our team won ‘Practice of the Year’ at the NZ Primary Care Awards, John generously gifted every kaimahi in our team and board (20 in total) with a beautiful pounamu taonga, all carved from the same piece of pounamu sourced in Te Tauihu. These taonga have become even more precious with John’s passing, and our rōpū wear them with pride.

E John, kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui a Tāne.

John, a great tōtara has fallen in the forest of Tāne.

Moe mai rā e John. Haere, haere, haere atu rā.

05/02/2026

Ngā mihi o Te Rā o Waitangi | Waitangi Day! 🖤🤍❤️ Hope you're managing to take some time out with friends and whānau to reflect on this super important day in the history of Aotearoa.

In case you need some inspiration for the day - have you checked out...

🎶The Waiata Anthems playlists? They're on all the usual streaming platforms (Links are here ->
www.waiataanthems.co.nz/music )

📖 Plus there's a cool way to learn more about the Treaty of Waitangi with "Te Tiriti o Waitangi" - this graphic novel ("comics" styles). It’s free to download the PDF book and the audio from: https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/te-tiriti-o-waitangi-graphic-novel/5637166343.p

⛲And don't forget the Whānau Day down at Seymour Square in Blenheim (9.00am-2.00pm) https://www.facebook.com/events/2944114595979459

PS If you're needing help with your health this weekend, check out our previous post with all the useful contacts for the public holidays. Mā te wā e te whānau - see you soon 💚

05/02/2026

Kia ora e te whānau - Waitangi Day long weekend is here 🖤🤍❤️

We'll be closed as we mark Te Rā o Waitangi | Waitangi Day (Friday 6th Feb) - and for the weekend as usual. If you need support while we’re closed, here are the best options (save this for later 👇):

✅Emergency? Call 111
If it’s serious or life-threatening, don’t wait.

✅Healthline – 0800 611 116 (24/7)
Free advice from a nurse/doctor if you’re unsure what to do next.

✅Need to talk? Call or text 1737 (anytime)
Free, confidential support from trained counsellors.

✅Pēpi & tamariki under 5 – PlunketLine 0800 933 922
Free child health advice from Plunket nurses.

✅Trusted health info online
info.health.nz or healthify.nz
Low/no data? Visit zero.govt.nz and tap the Healthify logo to browse for free.

✅Local pharmacies
Great for coughs/colds, minor infections, emergency contraception, over-the-counter treatment, and help with prescriptions.

✅Urgent dentist (public holiday on-call)
Phone 03 520 9999 to find the on-call private dentist.

Take care of yourselves and have a safe long weekend 💚

22/01/2026

Protecting your whānau starts with you 💚 Immunisation helps keep you and your loved ones safe from serious illness and out of hospital...

If you’ve said “not now” to vaccinations in the past but are rethinking things – that’s cool! It’s never too late to change your mind. Talk with us about a plan that works for you and your whānau .

🟢Childhood immunisations are FREE for all tamariki under 18
🟢Protection can start early - from pregnancy, and then for your pēpi from 6 weeks old.
🟢There are also important vaccines (and boosters) for adults to keep you protected as you get older

Not sure what you’re due for, or if you need a booster? Have a kōrero with us. We can check your records, answer your pātai, and help you make the best decision for you and your whānau.

Kia haumaru, kia ora - let’s keep our whānau (and our community) protected together 💚

20/01/2026

A big thanks to Pokere Paewai and RNZ for sharing this story about our kaupapa and what we're trying to do here at Manu Ora - "to benefit not only the whānau who we've got enrolled with us now, but our future generations".

So proud to be partnering with Te Piki Oranga and our amazing supporters like the Rātā Foundation to support our local whānau (patients) - especially those experiencing "housing insecurity, and the kai insecurity, and job insecurity...and the kind of flow-on effects from that onto people's mental health and their hauora, their overall well-being". We couldn't do it alone! Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou to all those who are on this journey with us to make a difference in our community! 💚

Get the full scoop online 👉🏽

Evidence shows it's early intervention model benefits both its patients and the wider healthcare system.

15/01/2026

We are immensely grateful to Rātā Foundation for this funding. But more than that, we also feel honoured to be trusted with this investment in our kaupapa.

The support from Rātā Foundation, and the way the wider team treat us, is exactly the sort of way we aspire to awhi and tautoko (support) our patients - so it really hits home.

Rātā Foundation totally “gets” what we do, and in every interaction we have with the team, we can feel not only the understanding, but the manaaki and emotional investment in our kaupapa. The mana of the team, and the opportunity to ‘walk alongside’ people like Hēmi (and the incredible wider team and Board Members) as we go about our work is truly transformational.

Not enough people know just what a taonga Rātā Foundation is for our communities!

Thank you from the bottom of our heart Rātā Foundation 💚

12/01/2026

Heads up e te whānau...we're looking for someone awesome to join our team here in Wairau (Marlborough) as one of our Kaiwhakatau Manuhiri (Medical Receptionists)💚 Is it *you* we're looking for, or maybe someone you know?

Full details about the job (and how to apply) in the listing: https://www.seek.co.nz/job/89379401

Don't delay though as applications close on Wednesday 14th January...
Please help us spread the word 🙏

Rewarding opportunity to join a kaupapa Māori health practice team as our part-time medical receptionist.

31/12/2025

Whakamihi to the incredible Dr Lorraine Eade (Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toarangatira, Rangitāne, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Koata, Te Ātiawa, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Raukawa, and Te Arawa) for her New Years honour recognising her outstanding service to Māori, governance, and the community.

For many years, Lorr has consistently given her time, energy and heart to supporting others. We were lucky to have Lorr facilitate our first strategic planning session in the very early days of Manu Ora, and admire her ongoing commitment to caring for people, strengthening whānau, and uplifting those around her.

This recognition is richly deserved and a reminder of the powerful impact one person can have through compassion, generosity and service to others.

Ngā mihi maioha ki a koe, Lorr — thank you for all that you do for our community. 💚

📸 Freddie Wilkie, The Marlborough Express

Read more here: https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360922546/looking-after-others-core-community-service

30/12/2025

Ngā mihi o te tau hou ki a koutou katoa, from the team at Manu Ora 💚

We’re taking a short break to rest & reset with our whānau. We are:
📅 Closed: 1st & 2nd January (and weekends as usual)
📅 Open: All other weekdays with our normal hours

If you or your whānau need health support while we’re closed, you still have options:

🚑 In an emergency – call 111
If it’s life-threatening or very serious, please call 111 straight away

✅ Healthline – 0800 611 116
Free 24/7 health advice from a nurse or doctor if you’re not sure what to do

💚 Need to talk? – call or text 1737
Free, confidential support from trained counsellors, any time of the day or night

👶 For pēpi & tamariki under 5 – Plunketline 0800 933 922
Free child health advice from Plunket nurses

🌐 Trusted health info online
Visit www.info.health.nz or www.healthify.nz for reliable info. Low or no data? Go to www.zero.govt.nz & tap the Healthify logo to browse for free

💊 Local pharmacies
Pharmacies can help with coughs and colds, minor infections, emergency contraception, over-the-counter treatments, & prescription medicines.

🦷Urgent Dentist
For urgent dental care on the public holiday, phone 03 520 9999 to find the on-call private dentist

Kia haumaru, e te whānau – look after yourselves and each other. We’re looking forward to caring for you in the new year 🌟

23/12/2025

Meri Kirihimete me ngā mihi o te tau hou e te whānau o Manu Ora 🎄💚

As we head into the festive season, we want to wish you and your whānau a safe, restful and joy-filled Christmas and New Year. Ngā mihi nui for trusting us with your hauora this year.

Manu Ora will be:
🟢Open on normal weekdays over the holiday period
🔴Closed on public/stat holidays and weekends only

Where else can you get care over Christmas/New Year when we're closed?
✅ Call Healthline on 0800 611 116
✅ In an emergency, call 111
✅ Professional counsellors are also available anytime by free call or text to 1737
✅ For tamariki under 5, you can call Plunketline on 0800 933 922 for free health advice
✅ You can also find general health information and advice online: www.info.health.nz and www.healthify.nz are two trusted sites. Low or no data? Visit www.zero.govt.nz and click on the Healthify logo to browse for free.
✅ Our local pharmacies can also give advice on medicines and common issues like coughs and colds, bladder or eye infections, minor cuts and grazes, emergency birth control etc. Plus they can suggest over-the-counter treatment and fill prescriptions.
✅ For urgent dental care on the public holiday, phone 03 520 9999 to find the on-call private dentist

Kia haumaru, kia tīno pai ngā hararei (may your holidays be safe and super fun) – take care of yourselves and each other these holidays 🌟

15/12/2025

A heartfelt thank you and shout-out to the Foodstuffs South Island Community Trust and PAK'nSAVE Blenheim 💚 Their generous support helps us keep our pātaka kai stocked for our whānau who need it. While it's a much-needed resource *every* day, at this time of year especially it's often a godsend.

Thanks to the help of our community we can help support our whānau (patients) on their journey to better health. We couldn't do it without you - ngā mihi nui ki a koutou!

Donations of food for our pātaka kai are *always* gratefully received from anyone who has something to share too. Just pop in and have a chat with our Kaiwhakatau Manuhiri (receptionists) if you have something to donate. "Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi" (with your food basket and mine, our people will thrive) 🥰

10/12/2025

Did you know? As a Manu Ora patient you are able to access your own patient portal ("myindici") to securely view your results and medical records, book appointments, request repeat prescriptions and message us.

Want some help to get this sorted? Give us a call, pop in to see us, or let us know at your next appointment - and we can help get you up and running 💚