Hey everyone!
As was highlighted in previous blog posts, our journey in Fiji has come to an end and we have now begun our New Zealand adventure! After a brief two day stay in Auckland, we were relocated to the Kotare Trust Marae in Wellsford. A Marae is a place for Maori families to share their culture and heritage amongst themselves and visitors who are interested. We were greeted warmly by Maori brother and sister duo, Michelle and Richard, and their families. They spent the first day educating us on Maori culture and leading us in odd jobs that needed to be done around the trust, such as planting trees, raking and power washing. The next day, we woke up early and embarked on a canoe trip up a local river, followed by an eight mile “tramp” (or hike) up a mountain belonging to Richard and Michelle’s tribe. It was incredibly strenuous and it definitely tested us all, but by the end of the day, we were all grateful for the experience. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us!!
Cheers,
Gracie
