while we were in waitangi, we went to a ceremonial welcoming at the marae which is a maori meeting house. before i went, i really didn’t know much about the maori culture besides what i’ve seen around rotorua, which has a large concentration of natives. it was interesting to say the least and full of some really fun memories. like zach getting chosen to be our group’s chief (and giving a hilarious speech) or singing and clapping along to some maori songs. some of their traditions are very unusual but i’m glad i finally got to learn about and have a better understanding of this very different culture.
i’m finally back from outreach week so prepare for lots of posts. one of our first stops when we were in whangerai was the waitangi treaty grounds. this was where the first treaty between the maori and europeans was signed in 1840. its interesting to be in a country even younger than america because america has always seemed so young to me compared to everywhere else i’ve traveled. we went to a maori ceremony in the marae (maori meeting house pronounced mor-i) on the grounds then explored houses and gardens based on those of the first settlers to new zealand. the houses were cute and reminded me of the architecture on the east coast in america. the gardens were beautiful and we had a fun time exploring and taking pics.
this past weekend, we had a girls day to the beach in tauranga, which is a beach town about an hour away (past post here). we climbed up to the top of the mount on the beach and despite the millions of stairs and hot weather, the view at the top made it completely worth it. after, we grabbed lunch and smoothies, walked around the town, got some of the most amazing gelato i’ve ever had (who knew pineapple and blood orange were such a good combination?), tanned a bit and collected shells on the beach. one of my favorite feelings in the world is coming home after a long day at the beach exhausted and sunburnt, taking a shower and just chilling out. after we got back, we watched breakfast at tiffanys and had mexican food and proclaimed this one of our best weekends in new zealand yet
throughout the semester, we have the opportunity to help out with camps and retreats for local churches. this past weekend, i was part of a team that went to christchurch to help at their yearly family camp. the weekend was full of working in the kitchen, hanging out with the beyond adorable kids and utter exhaustion. it was a great weekend but i must admit it was also nice to come back to the ranch and get a good night sleep with a real pillow. oh the little luxuries we so easily take for granted. the highlight of the camp was a ‘hoedown’ we had the last night. from dressing up like cowboys (i was told i looked more like a horseback rider but close enough, right?) to accidentally exploding a huge bottle of ginger beer during the ginger beer taste tests, it was a night to remember and a great way to end such a memorable camp.
{hayley vs the evil ginger beer bottle}