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At our finest |
Two weekends ago was our first scheduled weekend trip through HWS. We left after class on Friday and headed up the the Bay of Islands area and stayed on Te Omaha Marae. After we settled in they quickly brought us to a beach to practice using the Taiaha. A Taiaha is a long wooden stick that is carved in the likeness of a person (kindof) and was used in hand to hand battle. Our instructor had a real Taiaha which was beautifully carved and adorned with kiwi feathers. We used wooden poles for practice, which still felt pretty lethal. She taught us the different striking points and defenses and calls associated with each movement. We left feeling pretty badass. That night the 20 of us slept together in the whare nui (the big house) on the floor on mattresses. Before going to sleep, we watched the film "Whale Rider". If you have not seen this movie, you absolutely must. With the knowledge we have gathered from our Maori studies class, I felt like I got a lot more from the film then I did when I was younger, but even without the background it is still amazing. Or you can wait for me to get home and I will talk the whole time and tell you everything. Your choice.
In the morning a few of us decided that we should wake up early to watch the sun rise (see it as the first people in the world!). It was breathtaking, and a lot of us quietly contemplated the meaning of life and other typical-college-existentialism. After breakfast, we had a few more activities (including playing Maori instruments, most of which I was horrible at) and then we were whisked away by bus (more car sickness) to our next location.
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warriors in training, please note my
expertise and Lara's... outfit. |
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"what does it all mean??" |
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first rays of sun on Te Omaha marae |
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open eyes are for squares |
We stayed in a hostel in Paihia and ate dinner over the bay while the sun went down (very romantic, especially with 16 girls and 2 boys). We were told to get a good night's rest for the next day which was the big day of the trip: our dune rider tour. 7:30 Sunday morning we boarded a bus with a lot ofother tourists to travel even farther north. We had a lot of stops along the way, one being the Ancient Kauri Kingdom where they have excavated many buried Kauri trees which were alive 40,000 years ago. The Kauri trees are like the Redwoods of New Zealand, and most of them were chopped down by the settlers to use for ship making. Another classic case of colonial destruction of natural beauty for financial gain. Underneath the forest layer that has the 20,000 year old trees lies another layer with a tree that is 100,000 years old, apparently the oldest wood found in the world. Obviously I had to get a heinous photo with it.
Back in the bus, up to Cape Reinga. Even more carsickness. Cape Reinga is special for all New Zealanders and for the Maori specifically. It is the northern most tip of the country, and from the point you can see the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, with waves marking the spot a few km of shore (weird!). The Maori believe that when you die, your spirit takes a very specific path going north, until you reach Cape Reinga. This is where the Maori believe your spirit jumps off the land, at a certain tree, and you make your journey back to Hawaiki (the spiritual land/ where the Maori came from). Most of you know how I feel about trees with meaning, so I was all over this like white on rice. Jokes aside, it was a really moving experience that made me quite introverted to the point that I had to take the walk to the top by myself (cheesy but true).
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the meeting point |
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the lighthouse |
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the jumping off place and the tree |
To shake us out of our spiritual state, we followed the visit to the cape with DUNE BOARDING. This is exactly what it sounds like. It took
so long to walk up the dune, but it was completely worth it. I think I still have some sand in my ears, though.
After the dunes we drove down 90 mile beach. 90 mile beach is really only 60 miles, interesting fact. Misnomers all around. In contrast to the US, there were no resorts or boardwalks or jetties or anyhting, the beach has been left essentially untouched. It was absolutely gorgeous. During the drive south on the beach, we pulled over to snap some pictures of a herd of wild horses (seriously.). And no, I did not get close enough to have any allergic reaction.
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behind me is 90 mile beach |
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awesome rock on 90 mile beach |
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we have other friends. just not many of them. |
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is this real life? |
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"Wiiillldd horrsess.... couldn't drag me aw-wayyy" |

We were really exhausted that night and passed out in the hostel around 9:00. On Monday we had our last stop of the trip, a visit to the Treaty of Waitangi grounds. The Treaty of Waitangi was a treaty signed between the crown and the Maori people, guaranteeing land and cultural rights. It is an incredibly controversial document that some kiwis (not just Maori) see as the founding document of the country. The grounds were set up very similar to Mt. Vernon, with a huge lawn, big flagpole, museum, and a preserved colonial house. The only difference of course was a beautiful Marae.
All in all, it was a fantastic weekend organized by our school. I cannot wait to see what our next school trip will be like... !
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