The national marae of Nga Hau E Wha at 250 Pages Road in Wainoni, in the eastern suburbs of Christchurch. The website says it sits on about 14 acres, and is the largest national marae in New Zealand. It is guarded by Te Runanga o Nga Maata Waka, and its vision is to be a marae for all people in New Zealand. Its carvings show eight warriors paddling a canoe, which the website says represents the ancestral canoes at Waitangi in 1840, opposite Captain William Hobson, the first Governor of New Zealand. The entrance is described as a symbol of the marae as a place for all citizens.
The marae was built between 1981 and 1990, and was officially opened in May 1990. The website also sets out the history of the site, including Ngāi Tahu's sale of land in 1848 and the long search for a site for a national marae in Christchurch.