Hinu Ora is our whānau, our whenua and our journey.

Hinu Ora began with Kimberly and Jackson Tait and a desire to create something meaningful for their whānau and wider community.

Inspired by rongoā Māori, knowledge passed through generations and the native plants growing around them, they began exploring Kānuka and the ways it could become part of everyday whānau life.

There was plenty of learning along the way – harvesting, distilling, testing, gifting products to whānau and friends and listening to their experiences. What began close to home eventually became Hinu Ora.

Today, it remains very much a whānau pakihi.

Grounded in Whakapapa

Whakapapa is an important part of who we are and the values that sit behind Hinu Ora.

Kimberly whakapapa to Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupōuri, Ngāi Takoto, Ngā Puhi, Tainui, Te Arawa and Ngāti Kahungunu, while Jackson whakapapa to Ngāti Kahu, Te Arawa and Tūhoe.

Together, these connections to whānau, whenua and tūpuna form part of the foundation on which Hinu Ora was built.

Meet the Tait Whānau

At the heart of Hinu Ora are Kimberly and Jack's four tamariki – Kohineroa, Mataiawhea, Te Rēhina and Raumārire – and they aren't just watching from the sidelines.

Kohineroa, Mataiawhea and Te Rēhina are hands-on with harvesting and the distillery mahi. From gathering Kānuka from the whenua to preparing it for distillation, labelling and keeping things organised, they each have their own part to play. There's usually a little competition thrown in too – particularly over who can harvest the most and fill the best Kānuka bag.

And then there's Raumārire, the youngest of the whānau, who has grown up with Hinu Ora around her. With her own secateurs in hand, she's already joining the harvest, helping with bottling and stickers, and adding her own special touch to parcels before they leave the whare.

It's these moments that make Hinu Ora what it is – everyone pitching in, learning together and creating something that belongs to the whole whānau.

Remembering Jack

Jack was there from the beginning, building Hinu Ora alongside Kimberly and their tamariki.

His passing in 2024 changed life for the Tait whānau immeasurably. He is deeply missed, but his influence remains woven through Hinu Ora – in the foundations he helped build, the memories created together and the kaupapa the whānau continues today.

From Our Whānau to Yours

Hinu Ora is still created much the same way it began – close to home, hands-on and together.

The whānau harvest Kānuka here in Te Tai Tokerau and carefully distil it themselves, creating the Pure Kānuka Oil and Kānuka Hydrosol at the heart of the Hinu Ora range.

But Hinu Ora has always been about more than what's inside the bottle.

It's about whānau, whakapapa, whenua and knowledge. It's about making the most of what the whenua provides, sharing what we learn along the way, and creating something the tamariki can continue to be proud of.

From our whānau to yours, we hope you enjoy!

- The Tait Family