My camp recount

Never-ending speeches.  Amazing carvings.  Unspeakable experience.  Cars rumbled into the rocky parks like an army.  Everybody hopped out of the cars and slowly walked to the entrance to the marae (waharoa) and waited under it.  Silently like ants.  1 minute… 2 minutes… 3 minutes passed, but then slowly, silently, steadily an old lady (the kuia) opened two doors leading in the wharenui (meeting house).  Abruptly she started calling “Haere mai, haere mai, haere mai.”  Then the visitors (manuhiri) gradually walked up to the two doors.  When the manuhiri reached the doors the kuia politely asked the manuhiri to remove their shoes and put them on the veranda.  Soon everyone was sitting down in chairs or on the floor.  The boys were sitting on the floor on the left.  Unfortunately they should be on the right.  A lady gave the boys a long hard look ‘Sit over there please’.  The boys quietly moved.  Finally the speeches started.  The long and boring speeches.  While the speeches continued, some of the boys became restless and started staring around the marae looking at the beautiful tukutuku panels and amazing carvings.  Suddenly one speech ended, but another one started.  Soon the tangata whenua had to stand to sing a song in honour of their chief.   “Tutira mai nga iwi” sang the tangata whenua.  But unfortunately after the speeches ended came the hard bit…  The hongi!  Adults.  Girls.  Boys.  A few minutes later… the boys had nervously stepped in to the line.  It was all over in an instant.  Never-ending speeches.  Amazing carvings.  Unspeakable experience.  I wish I could do it again.

Room 4 and parent helpers ready to head home