When I first arrived in Aotearoa at age three, I was small, often unwell, and always tired. A church friend, Scott Smith, introduced my mum to Māori herbal remedies. With care, rest, and those native botanicals in our routine, I gradually found my feet. That experience sparked a lifelong curiosity about rongoā rākau (plant-based remedies) and the wisdom of our ngahere (forests).

ŌKU was founded in 2010 by Scott Smith and his wife, Helen Paul-Smith (Tapuika & Ngāi Te Rangi). Together they’ve built a family business dedicated to Aotearoa’s native plants and to sustainable, traceable products.

Grateful for the support those remedies brought to my wellbeing, I now work seasonally at ŌKU as a production worker and brand ambassador. I help with ngahere harvesting (kawakawa, kūmarahou, and other natives), small-batch processing and labelling, and packing teas, elixirs, and balms. I also create this bilingual website to promote ŌKU's products locally and abroad. 

Beyond the factory floor, I share ŌKU with visitors through my this site and Airbnb network, and with Kiwi Walker International, where I serve as a cultural ambassador running info sessions on New Zealand culture and native botanicals. My goal is simple: help more people, here and overseas, discover Aotearoa’s native plants, respectfully and clearly.