Orakei Tales

By Brennan Clark


It was a crisp Wednesday morning as a bus carrying a group of raucous intermediate students blasted along on their journey to the Orakei Marae.

The bus stopped to a halt. The students tumbled off the bus like rolling bowling balls and sat down on the grass, which was covered in fresh dew, and ate a well deserved morning tea.

The students, lead by Ms Lawson and Mr Wilson, assembled in front of the marae, and awaited a karanga, the traditional Maori greeting. The visitors waddled as if in slow motion towards the immense wharenui, and walked inside, astonished by the wonders that were in the room.

After brightening up on their Maori history, and learning about the Orakei Marae, their guide Bob and Whea took them back outside. In front of the students stood a mighty waka. All eyes were transfixed to the waka, which apparently needed 180 people to row!

Moving on, the students left, amazed by the size of the waka. Their next wonder to view was the remains of One Tree Hill, which probably was the highlight of the students’ trip to the Orakei Marae.

After the farewells had been said, and the brief snapping of cameras had finished, the students clambered up onto the bus, and slowly, the Orakei Marae became a memory, but the group of students from Ponsonby Intermediate were still filled with their thoughts of the Orakei Marae.