Marae Time

By Elsie Duke


Fifty Intermediate school children had the experience of a lifetime last Wednesday when they visited Orakei Marae.
Located on top of a grassy hill overlooking Waitemata harbour, this was the perfect place for the Ponsonby Intermediate students to embark on their first E.O.T.C. jouney.

The students were welcomed onto the Marae by a traditional maori greeting (Karanga). They then responded in a not so enthusiastic manner with a Waiata (song).

The children then listened to a history talk about the Marae's heritage. The children tried to listen but you could tell some of them were not interested. One point of amusement was one of the students little brother, Te mauri. He crawled around laughing and talking. The children watched him intently, oblivious to the fact they were now supposed to be moving out of the Wharenui.

A tour of the Marae soon followed. The children wandered past a great waka and a much-loved small hut. Then they gazed at a massive chunk of wood. " What's so special about that?" Jasmine exclaimed.
"It's the wood from One Tree Hill, now None Tree Hill," explained Bob the guide. They are planning to crave ancestors from it and give it to another iwi.

"Time to go!" yelled Ms Lawson. The children hurried onto the bus and headed back to school.

Kai Pai at the Marae

By Ally Birch

A rowdy group of students stood clumped together in a huddle, listening in awe to the calls of a Maori lady welcoming them to her iwi- Orakei marae. Slowly but surely they slipped their shoes off and entered the beautiful wharenui.

Inside Rooms one and seventeen were greeted with an inviting karanga. They returned the gesture by singing a lovely waiata that they'd been practicing for the last week.

After an hour of fidgeting and attempting to listen to some stories about the marae and its people, the two rooms were finally let out with a chance to explore and take pictures. They had a mediocore time but at least the children picked up some interesting facts including the current wherabouts of the former tree of " One Tree Hill" . It's drying and being stored at the Orakei Marae where it is going to be carved and donated to another iwi.

Next week both rooms have another exciting E.O.T.C trip................ Ice-Skating!