As mayor of Rotorua and a busy first-time mum, there’s rarely a free hour on Tania Tapsell’s calendar. But that only makes her appreciate every moment with 18-month-old daughter Kahumoa even more.
“It’s been an incredible journey,” shares Tania, 32. “But it’s also such a unique time, juggling two very important roles – serving my community through some challenging times as mayor and making sure I’m raising my daughter with all of the values I was raised with. As well as taking enough time to enjoy every moment of my baby growing up!”
In the same week Tania was elected mayor back in October 2022, she learnt she was pregnant and made a pledge to devote herself to the two biggest roles of her life simultaneously – motherhood and mayoralty.
“I’m not going to lie, it can be very stressful,” she admits. “Being a public servant is not a nine-to-five job – there’s often a genuine need to be flexible. But I’m grateful I was strong in having a non negotiable ‘family comes first’ policy. I always make sure my daughter has everything she needs and that I get to spend time with her.
“My favourite time is the morning when she wakes up. I relish those baby snuggles and kisses before we roll out of bed, then get her off to kōhanga.”
Referencing Kahumoa’s enrolment in kōhanga reo [full-time Māori language immersion early childhood education], Tania’s excited about the opportunities for her girl, but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.
“The first time I dropped her off, I cried all the way to council and had to fix my make-up before I went into meetings,” she recalls. “But I love picking her up when she runs to give me a big hug.”
Both Tania and her 42-year-old husband Kanin Clancy are also learning te reo Māori.
“It’s been so joyful being able to speak English and Māori at home,” she enthuses. “Sometimes she won’t listen when I tell her to put away her toys. But if I say it in Māori, she does. I will absolutely take that as a win and happily parent in te reo!”
While work can creep into weekends, spending whānau time in their favourite parks is always on the agenda.
“My husband and I grab a coffee and she will happily spend hours playing while we chase her. She’s a fearless little warrior and will throw herself down a slide far bigger than she is, laugh the whole way down and run back to do it all over again.”
It’s obvious how much Tania adores motherhood. But after returning to work at four weeks postpartum, she’s also refreshingly candid about the highs and lows.
“I’m in awe of the strength and power of mothers,” shares Tania. She adds it wouldn’t be possible without the support of deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong, her council colleagues and husband. “The sleep deprivation people talk about is so real. It’s certainly been a challenge sometimes when you’re not feeling 100 percent, but still need to give 100 percent.”
For the first year, Kanin would regularly bring Kahumoa in or travel around the country when needed so Tania could breastfeed.
“Looking back, I don’t know where I found the energy. But it was a lovely moment where during council meetings, I could stop and just be a mum,” she says. “I appreciate that is not a choice available for all mothers. However, I am grateful, despite the challenges, that I put in that effort for her and us.”
On the work front, Tania is proud of decreased crime and motel emergency housing rates in her city – as well as the ongoing restoration of the Rotorua Bath House.
Laughing, she adds, it was also a lot of fun to make movie star Jason Momoa an honorary citizen in November while he was in town with his rock band Oof Tatatá.
“He spontaneously took me up on stage to open his concert. The screaming from the women was so deafening,” laughs Tania. “I wondered at that point if it was the best thing I had actually delivered for Rotorua!”
More seriously, she shares motherhood has taught her that it’s all about making every moment count – and that includes prioritising time for her own mental and physical health, with regular runs to ensure she’s on top.
“With taking on such major issues for the community and also the rollercoaster of parenthood, I needed to make sure I was also looking after myself too,” explains Tania. She’s training for a marathon this year.
“When I left school at 16, I went straight into business studies and pursued politics. I was terrible at setting aside time for myself,” she recalls. “It’s taken me until now to realise the key is having balance.”
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