Born and raised in Rotorua NZ, her sub tribe is Ngati Pikiao and her waka (canoe) is Te Arawa.

“Kapa was always apart of my childhood, going to practices and watching all the older family members practice. It was also part of our school curriculum. Even pre school (kohanga) I started performing Kapa Haka from the age of 7 right up until I was 21.

When I came to Australia I continued doing Kapa with a group in North qld. In 2017 I was approached and asked if I was interested in mentoring a school group in Shepparton, for a performance, to show and share my culture with them in which I happily accepted.”

Candie has been a KYR Maori Mentor since 2017 where she started her journey with us in partnership with her daughter Shanice Tawhi.