NS in New Zealand

WELCOME!

2009-04-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our NZ trip blog. We travelled Down Under from April 28th until May 13th, and we hope you'll enjoy following our adventures!

The trip was pulled together quickly as an alternative to our planned trip to Fiji, when political unrest caused us to change our plans at the last minute. With financial help from the Canadian Legion Branch 168 in Iqaluit, and with logistical support from Canada's High Commission in NZ and the Ngai Tahu Maori, we were able to assemble an exciting itinerary.

Here's our group, viewed against the backdrop of Auckland's harbour.(Front row L-R) Sylvia Kalluq, Heather Arqviq, Neevee Wilkins, Teevi Mackay; (Middle row L-R) Nancy Mike, Elizabeth Ryan, Karen Tutanuak, Siobhan Iksiktaaryuk, Kathleen Merritt, Paula Rumbolt, Lyla Haulli; (Back row L-R) Annie Petaulassie, Reanna Sateana, Murray Angus, Hugh John Karpik, Natasha Mablick, Kevin Iksiktaaryuk, "Nooks" Lindell, Jerry Komaksiutiksak, Bert Rose, Marvin Atqittuq.

DAY 1: GETTING THERE

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The day has finally arrived! We all got to the airport and through security on time, and without a hitch.For some, the long flights to NZ were the beginning of their stop-smoking campaign. Some, like Kathleen, Reanna, Heather and "Batman" (a.k.a. Natasha) couldn't resist one last "fill-up"!We flew first to Newark, NJ, across the river from New York City where we could see the Statue of Liberty and other landmarks from the plane. It was our first big airport to find our way through, but we had 3 hours, so it was no problem.We then flew all the way across the US to Los Angeles - a five-and-a-half hour flight. We had great views of the mountains ...and the Grand Canyon ... Everyone was excited about being in LA - even if it was only at the airport!!

DAY 3 (Hey, what happened to Day 2 ?)

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The next, and biggest leg of the trip came next. While everyone back home was enjoying their usual Wednesday, we skipped right over it and went straight from Tuesday to Thursday. Weird!We left LA at about 11:15 PM on Tuesday, and arrived in Fiji right on schedule about 10.5 hours later, in time to enjoy our first Fijian sunrise.During our 3-hour stopover at the Fiji airport, we were entertained by some indigenous Fijian musicians, and then got some beautiful views of the islands when we left.It was a 3-hour flight from Fiji to New Zealand, and it was great to see the Pacific Ocean in the morning light. As we approached NZ, we got beautiful views of the landscape below.Auckland is by far the largest city in New Zealand: its population of 1.4 million is more than a quarter of the country's 4.1 million people. Our hostel is right on the main street, so we're surrounded by tons of shops and restaurants. The street life is very vibrant, with broad sidewalks and lots of people out. It's the beginning of Fall here, so people are beginning to find it cool, but it feels warm to us! The evening ended with a lovely dinner at a nearby steak house. Good food, and within our budget - can't do better than that!

DAY 4: A DAY OF PLAY IN AUCKLAND

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Our first full day in New Zealand was spent resting up from the long journey, and enjoying the city of Auckland and its surrounds.

The day began in the best of all possible ways: by sleeping in! (Actually, many of us woke up in the wee hours because of the time zone differences we've just experienced, but most got back to sleep for a while afterwards)

After a late brunch together, we headed down to the harbour and caught a ferry out to one of the many islands near Auckland. The ferry ride was great, as it gave us some much-needed fresh air, and a great view of the city.The 35-minute ferry ride took us to Waiheke Island, a popular tourist island with diverse and lush vegetation, and several small towns and villages situated alongside beautiful harbours and bays. We took a local bus all the way across the island and came to the end at a long and gorgeous beach. Not too many locals were around or in swimming (for them, the season has ended), but for us, it was wonderful! We had so much fun!!We swam and played for a couple of hours before catching the bus and the ferry back "home" to Auckland.

DAY 5: GETTING RESTED & GETTING READY

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Saturday marked our last day in Auckland before we head south to a busy schedule of meetings and performances. We used the day to get laundry done, and do shopping for clothes, gifts and other things.

Aside from going out for our meals together, the only organized outing today was to the Sky Tower, Auckland's version of the CN Tower. It was only a few blocks from the hostel, and rose up the equivalent of a 62-story building. For many of us, it was actually quite scary, especially when we stood on the glass floor with nothing below, or leaned on the windows to look down.
After doing that, we spread out and went shopping up and down the main commercial street outside the hostel. Thank goodness there were bank machines on every block!

DAY 6: IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCES

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Today the group finally started their performing - although not in the places they expected!

The day began early - very early - when we all got up at about 4:30 AM to catch our train to Wellington.We lugged our bags down to the station, only to find it was locked when we got there! It turned out not to be open until 7:00 AM instead of the 6:00 we had thought. It gave us time to find things to eat however!
We had a reserved block of seats on the train, and boarding went very smoothly. Trains are a lot more comfortable than planes!It was great to leave the city and watch the countryside roll by - it's a very beautiful country, with rolling green hills, mountains, and a lot of ancient volcanoes.
The trip from Auckland to Wellington, the capital, normally takes 12 hours. It stopped at noon at a national park and the students couldn't resist getting their drums from the baggage car and putting on an impromptu performance for the other passengers on the train.Once the train started up again, several students then went into a car carrying mostly senior citizens and gave them a performance of singing and throat singing. The passengers were fascinated, and appreciative of this unexpected cultural treat.
We hadn't gone far in the last leg of the journey when the engine died and we were stuck in the middle of nowhere! They told us it would take 3-4 hours for a replacement locomotive to get to us, so we all settled in to wait. The students, however, couldn't pass up yet another opportunity to perform - this time, beside the tracks in the New Zealand wilderness.
In the end, we rolled into Wellington about 11 PM, went straight to our hostel, and got settled in to prepare for our busy day tomorrow.

DAY 7: WELLINGTON - WOW!!

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Wellington is the capital of NZ. It's located at the southern end of the North Island, and has a population of several hundred thousand people. It is the home of many organizations as well as the government itself.
CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION
Our first stop on this very busy day was to Canada's High Commission (a.k.a. embassy). There, we were given a briefing by the Acting High Commissioner, Pamela Deacon. She talked about what a High Commission does, and gave an overview of Canada-NZ relations. She also talked about the recent "Eskimo lolly" controversy.The High Commissioner and her staff did much of the work to set up meetings and events for us during our two-day stop in Wellington, so before leaving, we presented her with a wall hanging for her office, a pair of hand-made mitts for herself, and a package of information materials about Inuit and Nunavut for the High Commission's library.
TE PAPA NATIONAL MUSEUM
After the High Commission, we walked over to the Te Papa national museum. We expected to get a regular tour, but instead had an altogether - and unforgettable - experience. It began when we were met at the door by a Maori woman, Hema Tehara, who is in charge of all the protocols associated with the handling, storage, and presentation of Maori artifacts and belongings. She guided us into the non-public storage and work areas where thousands of artifacts are stored and maintained. There we received a formal welcoming from Arapata Hakiwai, Director Matauranga Maori (a.k.a. the Maori exhibits), and his staff. It was our first experience of the Maori welcoming ritual and it had a huge emotional impact on all of us. Our hosts spoke about how the spirits of their Maori ancestors were present amidst the many, many artifacts being stored at the museum and many students said they could feel that as well. It was very emotional, and touched us all very deeply.
We were then given a group tour of the various types of artifacts and other materials that the museum has in its collections: it ranged from spears and clubs, to skirts and cloaks made from flax and/or feathers. Some of the clothing items were spectacular in their consruction and beautiful design. (We weren't allowed to take photos in this area, so Ithe following images from Te Papa's web site will provide a glimpse into the kind of things we saw) Before leaving, our hosts put on a lunch for us, and we ended our visit with a presentation of gifts to express our deep thanks for an unforgettable introduction to Maori history and culture.
TE PUNI KOKIRI
After the museum, we went over to Te Puni Kokiri (a.k.a., the Ministry of Maori Affairs), where we met with staff for about two hours. Like all meetings, it began with an exchange of speeches and songs, first from the hosts, and then from ourselves as guests. The students then put on a cultural presentation. The session ended with several of the government officials giving presentations about various aspects of the Department's work.
PIPITEA MARAE
Our last event of the long day was definitely worth the wait: it was a visit to the local marae (Maori meeting place). We arrived at 6:30 PM and were sung into the building by an Elder. We took our places across the room from 50-60 people of all ages who were there for their regular Monday evening dinner and cultural practice. This was the most formal of all the welcomings we had experienced to date, with several speeches being made to greet us. Their song was sung by the whole crowd, and it was AMAZING!! It was our first experience of the famous Maori haka, where the singers and dancers make loud sounds and intimidating faces to frighten the enemy into surrendering etc. It was unbelievably powerful in its effect.

DAY 8: ANOTHER BUSY DAY!

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All indigenous rights issues in NZ relate back to the original Waitangi Treaty that was signed in 1840 between the British crown and the Maori. It guaranteed that Maori would retain possession of their lands and their governance systems over them, while at the same time accepting the sovereignty of the British crown. Of course, things don't always work out the way they should and the Maori lost much of their territory to settlers over the next century.

In 1975, the NZ government created the Waitangi Tribunal to investigate Maori claims that the principles of the Treaty had not been kept. Since then, it has received about 1900 claims, and has made recommendations to the government on about 500 of them.

During our visit, we were given a presentation about the history and purpose of the Tribunal by one of its judges and several staff people.We then showed them one of the segments of the Staking the Claim DVD, which is part of the new land claims curriculum being introduced into the Nunavut high schools this coming Fall. This was followed by a question and answer session and a cultural performance.Our visit ended with an exchange of gifts, with Nancy presenting our gifts to Tipene Chrisp, the Acting Director of the Tribunal

CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION
From the Tribunal offices, we went back to the High Commission, where we screened Staking the Claim again, put on a short performance, and then had a luncheon where we mingled with invited guests. It was a successful event for the High Commission.
JUSTICE JOSEPH WILLIAMS
Our final stop of the day proved to one of the most memorable: it was a visit to the NZ High Court (like Canada's Supreme Court) where we visited with Justice Joseph Williams. He had been the head of the Waitangi Tribunal, then a judge in the Maori Land Court (which deals with all matters relating to Maori lands), and now he is one of the judges in NZ's highest court — pretty impressive for a man in his mid-40s. Even more impressive, however, was his down-to-earth manner, and even though it was the end of the work day, he engaged the students in conversation about law, language and culture for an hour. He was a very inspriting and impressive individual.

DAY 9: TO THE SOUTH ISLAND!

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We got up early on this rainy morning and caught a 7:30 Am ferry to the South Island. The weather was pretty bad as we left Wellington, but it cleared up by the time we had crossed the Cook Strait. We transferred to the train at Picton and headed down the coast to Christchurch, arriving about 6:30 PM We were met in Christchurch by our hosts from the Ngai Tahu, the tribe that is dominant on the South Island. They took us to the "whare" (i.e. meeting house) of the Maori Students Association at the University of Canterbury. It's a place where Maori students can come to any time, to study, to meet, to eat, and even to sleep. We were given mattresses and sleeping bags and we camped out in the living room, and were fed two great meals. Totally welcoming!

DAY 10: A NGAI TAHU WELCOMING

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We got up early, were fed a great breakfast at the Student Centre, and then headed downtown to the headquarters of the Ngai Tahu. It is the principal Māori iwi (tribe) of the southern region of New Zealand, and its tribal organization is called, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu (TRoNT). The TRoNT is made up of representatives of 18 local runangas (local councils), and is similar to NTI in Nunavut.

Our visit began with a formal Powhiri (welcoming ceremony) which involved being sung in by a Maori woman, taking our seats on one side (men in front of women), listening to speeches and then songs by our hosts, offering a speech and a song ourselves, presenting a gift to them by placing on the floor between us, and then going through the hongi, an individual greeting where people touch their foreheads and noses together.

We were impressed that all the organization's leaders were present at the event. They gave us presentations presentations about the Ngai Tahu, their history, their 1998 land rights agreement, and the various undertakings they are making to improve the lives of their people.Part of their recent settlement involved a formal apology from the New Zealand government for the historic wrongs that had been done to the Ngai Tahu (shown here beside Neevee). There were several opportunities to eat during the day, and they always gave us good chances to socialize and meet people. Finally, it was our turn to give a presentation. Paula began by giving a brief overview of Inuit history, then we showed them the final segment of the Staking The Claims video After that, the students put on a performance of drumming, singing, throat singing and Inuit games.The audience was enthralled!Before departing late in the afternoon, we engaged in an exchange of gifts. The Upoko (head leader of the Ngai Tuahuriri), Jonno Croft, presented Nooks with a carving and books about the Ngai Tahu, and then Lyla presented him with a gift bag with information about Nunavut and a wall hanging.When it was over, we loaded everything up into our rented vans, and headed back up the coast to Kaikouri.

DAY 11: KAIKOURA

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Our stay in Kaikoura turned out to be great in ways we hadn't expected.

Our plan had been to stay at the local marae (Maori meeting house) but it had become unavailable because of a death in the local community. Instead, we stayed at a lodge run by a Maori family (3 sisters!) about a half-hour's drive away from the town of Kaikoura itself. It proved to be a terrific place, as we had a great time with our hosts, sharing our culture with them, and learning more about Maori culture and values. (They also fed us mountains of great home cooking!)

We began our first, full day in the area with a great guided tour of the area from the Maori point of view. Our guides were Maurice Mamawatu and his assistant Tanya. They drove us around to various sites in the area, including a former pa (a fortified settlement)... a forest preserve where they taught us about the spiritual and medicinal qualities of various trees and plants ... and finally a visit to Maurice's home where we were each welcomed by his wife, Heather, with a hongiWhile there, we had tea, practiced the Maori song that Maurice had been teaching us, and tried our hand at weaving with flax leaves. Our planned whale watching tour was cancelled because of bad weather, so we spent our afternoon shopping up and down the single main street of Kaikoura.

DAY 12: HEADING HOME

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Well, the day finally came when we had to begin making our way home again.

Before heading off for the train, we did all we could to thank our hosts for all their generosity — in accommodating us, guiding us, feeding us, and most of all, making us feel extremely welcomed in NZ!! Everyone, and everything, was just great!!We boarded the train at 9:35 AM and were blessed with a beautiful sunny day as we traveled along the scenic coast.The view as we approached Picton and the Cook Strait between the South and North Islands.

DAY 14: A FIJI TREAT

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We travelled back from Wellington to Auckland by train on Sunday. On Monday, we caught a plane to Fiji for an overnight stay, before connecting back to the States.

And what a stay!

We arrived at suppertime, just as it was getting dark here (it being close to the equator, it gets dark early, and fast!). We were overjoyed at where we were: right on the beach, with slow, lapping waves rolling in under a huge, night sky. How beautiful it was. And the water was SO warm!

We had a group dinner (our last meal together before grad) and the staff congratulated the students on how well they had managed themselves from the very beginning of the trip; they lived up to all of their responsibilities every step of the way, and were awesome ambassadors for Inuit, for Nunavut, and for Canada.

We stayed at a very busy Backpackers inn (a.k.a. hostel) with lots of activities going on. We were content to spend the evening playing in the outdoor pool, swinging in the hammocks, and just soaking up the wonderful breeze.
We awoke early and had breakfast by the beach and spent the morning swimming and soaking up the rays, Despite layers and layers of sunscreen, a few of us are coming back more red than brown.

AN HOUR (or two) IN HOLLYWOOD

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We had a 9-hour layover in L.A. on the way home, so the students organized a whirlwind bus tour of Hollywood! Here's what downtown L.A. looks like.Here's the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are heldWe were able to spend some time walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard, where the stars have their names in the sidewalkWe then drove around the Hollywood Hills, spotting the houses of many different movie starsOverlooking the Hollywood Bowl, where many famous musicians have performed outdoor concerts over the years.Our last group shot before grad!