Hello All!
 
Writing to you from the beautiful lake town of Taupo. We have begun our journey to the Maori village and stopped here yesterday for one night. We're all very grateful for the immense amount of work Emily put in to set up our transportation. We've been taking responsibility in our roles and supporting each other to develop the skills of a traveler so major kudos for Emily's dedication on this one. We have all enjoyed exploring Taupo. Some of us snagged some treasures in souvenir shops for our loved ones back home while others took solo walks along the water front or explored the natural hot springs just down the road from our hostel. We are headed out very soon to complete the final leg to the Maori. We are not really sure what to expect but have prepared a Maori song as an offering for the tribe and are very excited to be immersed in their culture. Ill try to keep you updated on our Maori experiences later in the week, but for now here are the lyrics to the song we will all be attempting to sing today. (hopefully we dont offend the tribe with our botched pronunciation)
 
Ka Waiata
 
Kia Maria
 
Hine i whakai
 
Whaka mea tea mai
 
Te whare tanga ta
 
Hine purotu
 
Hine Ngakau
 
Hine Rangi Marie
 
Kote whaea kote whaea
 
O te ao
 
Kote whae kote whaea
 
O te ao