PHOTO CREDIT HEATHER CARSTON
LOCATED on SH4, about 20-minutesdrive south from Te Kūiti, the so-called “Madonna Falls” wouldn’t win any prizes for size or scale, but the little waterfeature can claim to be an historic King Country landmark.
Easily seen by passing traffic, and with a nearby parking spot created for visitors, this five-metre-high waterfall is one of three draining farmland atop Kurukuru Hill, better known locally as “Waterfall Hill”.
A modest shrine has been built at the point where the water from Madonna Falls tumbles from bank to roadside, and then into a large culvert. This last structure takes the flow beneath the roadway and ultimately to a creek in the gully far below road level.
But why all the fuss? Though rated “not much impressive” by the New Zealand Waterfalls website, the falls are a reminder of the life and times of prophet and leader Alexander Phillips QSM, who died aged 90 in 2008.
It was Alex who vouched for the efficacy of water from the falls and apparently recommended it in the course of his faith healing activities. Alex and his wife Betty founded Manu (now Mana) Ariki Marae, a healing centre 6km north of Taumarunui.
The reputation and public prominence of the falls, which merely played a bit part in the couple’s fame, has ebbed and flowed over the years.
Perhaps the peak of interest was in 1975, as seen in NZBC TV news footage of the day. These reports showed that SH4 was regularly blocked at this point over a period of several weeks, as motorists crammed the site to fill containers with the water.
This followed reports that a boy had been healed following a vision of the Virgin Mary in the falls, and claims of other miraculous healings followed. People soon began not only drinking waters from the falls but in some cases, immersing themselves right under the chilly flow.
On August 9, 1980, The King Country Chronicle reported that 1500 people had turned out to Kurukuru Hill for a Saturday morning service at the falls. They were there to dedicate them to Te Whaea o te Rere (Our Lady of the Waterfall).
“As members of various churches led the crowd in prayers and hymns, the rain poured down – increasing the flow from the fall and almost obliterating the image of the Madonna on the rocks behind. Ninety-nine per cent of those at the gathering appeared to be of Māori descent, but several pakehas took to the waters too,” the report said.
Taumarunui historian Ron Cooke said a former Taumarunui professional photographer John Buckley superimposed an image of Mary onto one of the falls. John had overlaid two negatives to create the image, not to provide a fake news story but rather as a way of openly dramatising the tale of the vision.
However, as the last known copy of this image is in private hands, Ron could not obtain permission in time to supply it for this story.
He said the waterfall had been referred to as “Madonna Falls” as long as he could recall, and personally he had no doubt that the water there had been beneficial to some.
Te Ara – The Enyclopedia of New Zealand said in 1961 Alexander Phillips founded the Kōtahitanga Building Society Inc, to help relieve people from mākutu (curses).
Later at Taumarunui, he built the Manu (now Mana) Ariki Marae complex, including a Kura Wānanga, the school of sacred knowledge. In 2007 he celebrated his 90th birthday as “the last Māori prophet”, and died the following year, the encyclopedia entry said.
Born at Okahukura, Alex was a Māori of Scottish and Irish ancestry.
From teenage years he was active in hunting, fishing, bush clearing and farming and made his mark in multiple sports.
As well as playing rugby for King Country, Alex excelled in disciplines as diverse as boxing, wrestling and tennis.
By his late twenties, he had become a trainer/coach across many pursuits, providing advice, assisting and supporting both those who were up-and-coming and those who were in need.
At the age of 28 he married the late Betty Davis and the couple had 16 children.
Much of his life was spent farming at Okahukura and during these years and well into his retirement Alex dedicated his time to his Māori community and their welfare.
He set up numerous training programmes and cultural activities to benefit both Māori and the wider community.
Alex gave 33-years-service to the nonprofit building society but following a conflict of interests this organisation, he shifted its headquarters from Tokanui to Mana Ariki, Okahukura. Once there, Alex, who had been involved in counselling from 1953 onward, assisted in the rehabilitation of drug-addicts and alcoholics, the mentally ill, sexually abused and those who were homeless or socially deprived.
He set up exchanges with people from numerous parts of the world which promoted religious, cultural, and humanitarian ideals and worked with the Department of Justice to establish a Māori cultural approach to penal rehabilitation programmes.
Alex also set up the Awhina Network, which helped Māori who were sick in hospitals across the country.
He provided long-term support of the Okahukura Culture Competitions, revitalised interest in te reo and tikanga Māori and supported all forms of Māori artistic achievement.
Alex built a large model railway, which opened at the complex on February 1994, complete with a 3km railway track and a fleet of 7”1/4 scale locomotives and carriages.
At the time this was claimed to be the longest in New Zealand, taking six minutes to complete the circuit, plus the first of its type built by Māori.
In 1990 Alex and five others went on a trip to trace the origins and migratory route of ancestral Māori more than 1000 years ago.
An explanatory map depicting the route is featured in a tunnel under Te Mana O Te Aroha, the large complex at Mana Ariki.
