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A new shop that sells and carves greenstone has opened in Rotorua.
Opened by a skilled greenstone carver from Te Arawa,
he hopes to teach the ropes of the business
to the next generation of carvers.
The name is Rakai Jade
and it's a haven for greenstone carvers.
Networking and learning,
teaching each other carving skills.
The doors opened just before Christmas.
It's a place for exhibiting these beautiful pieces,
and most importantly, a place to carve new ones.
Gardiner has been carving for 20 years
and he sells his pieces overseas.
It's those kinds of processes that he teaches.
He says despite the number of carving schools in the country,
most don't take into account the students' future prospects.
But it's not an easy job.
Jade, or greenstone, is a competitive industry
in the overseas market.
That's why Gardiner encourages young carvers to unearth
the old traditional designs of their ancestors to get ahead.
Kereama Wright, Te Karere.