The Parata boys are barely holding it together this week as Ari waits for his sentencing hearing.
In Home and Away, Tane (Ethan Browne) and Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) are reeling after visitng Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) in remand.
It’s clear he’s not coping well in jail, but refuses to divulge the truth. Nikau is livid.
He wants Chloe to admit that she, not Ari, was the one who killed her father Matthew (James Sweeny). Tane, on the other hand, will not go against Ari’s wishes – and warns that he should not either.
“Nikau is suffering,” Kawakawa says in an interview with TV WEEK. “Seeing someone you care about in a situation like that isn’t a pleasant sight.”
Tane teaches Nikau to be a warrior and find the guidance he needs. (Image: Seven)
At dinner, Mia (Anna Samson) and Tane try to focus on the wedding, but Nikau isn’t interested.
He later tells Tane that losing Ari makes him think of his father, and he can’t bear it. He wishes to depart from Summer Bay.
“It’s difficult to deal with the trauma of already having gone through this,” Kawakawa says.
Tane advises Nikau to pack his belongings the next morning. They’re going camping, but this isn’t your typical camping trip.
Nikau is subsequently given a Taiaha, a traditional Mori weapon. It was Nikau’s fathers who did it. Tane will teach him how to be a warrior and help him get the answers he requires.
Tane teaches the technique at the campground. Nikau, on the other hand, lacks patience and is unable to learn it.
Tane implores him to concentrate; not all is gone. Nikau begins to find the courage and wisdom he’s been looking for as time passes.
“The Taiaha sequence hugely impacts Nikau as it is a significant part of who he is as a person,” Kawakawa says.
“Being grounded and reminded of the values that come with it is very empowering and grounds him in a way that he deeply needs.”
Nikau, however, has no patience and struggles to master it. (Image: Seven)
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