Francis Tipene and Kaiora Tipene

Guest writers

Francis and Kaiora Tipene are the proprietors of Tipene Funerals, based in Onehunga and Henderson, Auckland. Both hail from Northland: Francis from Pawarenga, Kaiora from Kaitaia. The couple star in TV series The Casketeers and last year published their first book, Life as a Casketeer. Their second, Tikanga, releases in June 2021.

Jacinda Ardern greets Scott Morrison with a hongi as the Australian Prime Minister arrives for the annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ meeting (Photo: Robert Kitchin/Getty Images)

What’s a hongi?

With the hongi in the spotlight thanks to a tweet from Judith Collins, Francis and Kaiora Tipene explain the tikanga of the greeting.

By Francis Tipene and Kaiora Tipene | 1st June, 2021