A new social networking site claims to be the Maori answer to Facebook.
Whanau Connect was launched last week from Waiwhetu marae in Lower Hutt, and manager Kataraina Hetet says it's picking up strong interest.
She says many whanau want to communicate wherever they are in the world, but they want greater security than most sites offer.
She says users of whanauconnect.co.nz control who sees the information and how it is shared.
"If a marae decides to form a marae group and get all their whanau members on board, they need to approve ... those members," she says.
Kataraina Hetet says the site can be a place where groups can store their historical records and information online.
