Te Pura Creations infuses Aotearoa with Pacific Island spirit

Mataria Pekepo is bringing the vibrant colours and crafts of Rarotonga to one of the coldest parts of Aotearoa.

Pekepo (Arorangi) owns Te Pura Creations, a Cook Islands-inspired business based in Mosgiel.

“What I do is I provide Pacific Islanders down here in the south with a lot of Cook Island arts and crafts that range from the floral head crowns, which are the ei katu like I'm wearing,” she tells Tofiga Fepulea’i on Island Time.

“I make Cook Islands costumes, I board print clothing and bedspreads, I also make flashcards for children to learn basics in Cook Islands Māori.

Pekepo says the business name honours her daughter.

“Her middle name is Te Pura, which is also my nickname.”

A change of climate

Pekepo grew up in the Cook Islands before moving to the South Island with her family.

“I relocated to Dunedin around 10 years ago, straight from Rarotonga down to cold Dunedin,” she laughs.

“The main reason was because our family’s down here in Dunedin, it was easier for us to make the transition from Rarotonga to Dunedin, so we weren't very alienated and lost when we came over.”

Watch Ma'taria Pekepo's full interview below.

Pekepo says her upbringing influences how she represents herself today.

“Growing up around the traditional methods that have been around for many, many years and learning them and soaking them all in – it’s kind of made me the person I am today, both creatively and also emotionally.”

In 2023, the Pacific population in Dunedin City was 5037, representing 3.9 per cent of the total population.

Challenges

Pekepo lives with complications from a head injury and has been out of work for several years before launching her business two years ago.

“I was a legal secretary in Rarotonga before I moved over and I couldn't find employment that would take a chance on me, so I decided, well, I might as well work for myself if I can't work for someone else, so that's when I started thinking about starting my business.”

Te Pura Creations provides vibrant costumes and accessories for the Cook Islands diaspora in Aotearoa and beyond. Photo/Facebook

She believes her experiences allow her to relate to others with similar invisible disabilities.

“If I can do it, I can also help and encourage them to pursue their small business ideas and dreams as well.”

The business initially received support from The Generator NZ, which provides seed funding and assistance to kickstart small businesses.

She admits that separating work and family commitments can be challenging.

“Because I'm run from home, a lot of the time I'm working and I don't space out my day enough to spend more time with my family, so that was a big challenge for me at the beginning where I had to find that healthy balance to make sure I wasn't overworking or wasn't doing too much.”

Mataria Pekepo makes many of the designs from home. Photo/Facebook

Looking ahead

Te Pura Creations has customers across the country, but Pekepo is also receiving orders from Tonga, Sāmoa, Fiji, and beyond.

“Just recently, I had to send a whole lot of stuff to Hawai’i, which was pretty exciting, so I guess I can see my business starting to grow slowly, and if I get big enough, I would open an actual store and employ people and continue to provide people around the world with Cook Islands love.”