Written By Eden & Cole
“The largest journey in life is from the heart to the head.” -Terangimarie
This week we let go of some of the things delaying that journey, and did some self reflection to find what fuels it.
October 23rd. Spirits were low. More than half our group was sick. Many competed to be the last healthy one standing, some even trying to play it off as allergies. Eventually the many days of traveling and late nights had wore us all down, and together we had succumb to the illness.
October 24th. Our day started off slow and somber. Many struggled to leave bed and some decided today was best used as a rest day. When we left our hostel we travelled to met our local contact Rob. He had lived a life doing the things he loved and was very knowledgeable. Many of the things he talked about included survival living and innate human skills. This went so much beyond hunting, foraging or making a fire however. Throughout our time with him we played different games and activities to understand our human connection to the environment and how powerful human intuition is. First we started by searching the nearby forest for herbs we believed were medicine. We then put each of our leaves in a boiling pot over the fire and made a delicious tea. After that we played the stone game that taught us to leave our ego behind and used instinctual cooperation to work towards a goal. We also played more directly competitive games such as Jedi Tag where we snuck around in the grass trying to silently tag your opponent. After learning many lessons about living how you want and doing what we love, we said our farewells and left.
October 25th. We began our day by visiting
Ngaronoa who graciously welcomed us into her home and showed us her garden and living space. Her Maōri connections in both lineage and family had given her much wisdom and she had dedicated her life to natural medicine. Before we began our lesson, she laid out various teas, coffee and even cake. We conversed for a while about our plans for the future and why we had decided to come along on the Carpe Diem adventure. After we had all fully woken up, we began to pick the leaves and fruit off the stems of a medicine plant. Later she would grant a small portion of the collection to our group in hopes of curing our runny noses and sore throats. Before we left however, she taught us the many uses for Flax in Maōri culture. We then got the opportunity to weave flax that we harvested straight from her front yard. After making a school of woven fishes, we thanked her for her many stories and teachings and took off.
October 26th. After learning about the many ancient and modern uses for flax, we visited Liz and Rick’s farm to help replant the flax that had been harvested. In Maōri culture it is a long practiced tradition to preserve the Child and Parent stalks so that the plant could regrow properly. The Child stalk is in the very center while the Parent stalks are the ones directly next to it. When the flax was prepared for planting, we began to dig holes in a swampy marsh that swallowed us in muddy water up to our knees. Only after finishing the job we were told that people often fall all the way through to the underground body of water that was filled with massive freshwater eels. Finally we finished up the day by eating some fresh grown Tangelos and giving gratitude to our hosts.
October 27th. We started the day with one last, long walk on the beach with Tiaki. As we walked, we talked about different characteristics of childhood. And as each was discussed, it was discarded and left to the memory of childhood- with the intention of making way for adulthood. We ended the walk with hand in hand, with our feet in the ocean, and a blessing from Tiaki. We also performed the Haka for Tiaki, as a way to show our gratitude for the past two weeks he’s spent working with us. We ended the day at Manu Wairua, our final destination with Tiaki.
October 28th. 6:30 AM- time to build a sweat lodge. We dressed what looked like a jungle gym made from sticks in blankets and mats until no light could find it’s way in. This process is called, “Dressing the grandmother.” We each grabbed a large stone, and said individual blessings as we placed them at the base of a fire. Those stones are referred to as, “Grandfather rocks.” Each rock was placed in the middle of the lodge, and water was poured over to create steam. As the air surrounding us grew hotter and hotter, we each shared things we felt were holding us back from our highest selves, and something we hoped to achieve. As time passed, more rocks were added, more water was added to the rocks, and the air grew hotter. We sang songs and gave thanks to the things and people in our lives inspiring us to bear the heat. The rest of the day was spent outside in reflection; some of us even chose to spend the rest of the day reflecting in solitude.
October 28th. The morning was spent in the sweat lodge, while the rest of the day was spent preparing a dinner for all the people that have helped us along our journey in New Zealand. We prepared a veggie curry, fresh bread from a Raglan bakery, and a salad straight from Tiaki’s home garden. We ended the night at hot pools, where we played games, relaxed, and joined hands for one final blessing and goodbye with Tiaki.
Though we might be forever searching for what fuels the journey from our hearts to our heads, if we’ve learned anything from these past two weeks and indigenous culture, it’s that taking care of our community, the people around us, is the best place to start.
“What gives life meaning, it is the people, it is the people.” (Māori proverb)
