Today, which is actually Waitangi day, all starts off with early morning prayers and Joelle had met with a local couple on the beach which had recommended we go to it. So that’s how at 4.30am we were getting up, we did actually cop out a little and instead of walking the 40 mins to walk there we took the car!
When we set off from the hostel we seemed to be the only ones on the road and were beginning to wonder if it was all a ploy to see how many tourists they could get into one place at the most ridiculous time of day, but as we got nearer there were hundreds of people. We arrived at the meeting house in the Waitangi treaty grounds just in time to settle down and listen to the early morning prayers, we were amazed that John Key, the new prime minister, was also in attendance at that time, along with significant Maori. It was very interesting and a real experience but also lovely to get back into bed for another couple of hours!
Once we had recovered from our early start we headed back into the area of celebrations and stumbled upon, more by chance than by judgement, the Maori gearing up for going out on the water on their waka (the Maori war canoes). It was really really very amazing, it’s hard to put into words quite how incredible and moving the experience was. There were around 100 men all dressed in traditional clothing on the beach with oars in hand preparing to board the waka to go to war and as they did they performed a haka, and it was pretty scary, we were standing on the beach right in front on them and as they were performing it was so believable and amazing.
We then headed up to the treaty grounds where there were several different kappa haka performing. A kappa haka, I’ve been reliable informed from my second cousins daughter, is a male and female group who perform Maori songs and dances. We saw some incredible groups but what topped the lot was the Navy haka group, they were incredible. Another really very moving experience.
Around 5pm Joelle and myself headed off back to Auckland, I’m hoping to get together with my second cousin Mel and her family in the city and Joelle is flying back out to LA the next eve so we headed back down, attempting on the way to visit some glowworm caves. We got as far as parking the car and walking five minutes down the path but then we got all sensible and decided that as it was getting late and that either of us broke a leg it wasn’t going to be that great for our plans so we decided against it.
We did however, pop into the most photographed loo in NZ.
Performing the haka on the beach
More haka on the beach and then the Navy Kapa Haka
I'm sure there must be another reason for it being the most photographed loo other than the decor..!
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