Some of our students had the amazing opportunity to stay at Okorihi Marae for a Noho Marae. Below is a recount from one of the students who attended.
Me mihi atu au ki ngā kaiako mō te awhi me te aroha i a mātou i o mātou noho i Okorihi Marae, ka tuhinga e au tōku whakaaro mō te haere o tō mātou noho ki te marae.
This is my experience on our Noho Marae at Okorihi Marae. At first I was quite nervous and anxious about going on the Noho Marae because I was unsure who was going to be there and if I was going to connect easily with some people, etc. But fast forward to when we got there, I settled in pretty fast and I was comfortable and confident so quickly, to the point I was singing on Whaea Kara’s microphone the very first night we got there!
The first day we got there, Thursday 15 May, we went to Ngawha Springs. The arts and carvings that were scattered throughout the place were flash. Ngawha is a natural mineral spa that is located about 5 km east of the town of Kaikohe.
Waitangi was where we went on Friday. It was my favourite part of the trip as I was able to learn more about my whakapapa and tipuna, the designs/carvings that belong to my iwi, and plenty more. We even had the opportunity to watch some kaihaka perform, which was quite cool. I am also grateful that we got the chance to see Te Wharenui O Kupe (Kupe was a Māori legendary explorer – the first to discover Aotearoa) – where we learned a lot during our visit to Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
Altogether, I really enjoyed my time in Kaikohe and will definitely cherish the time and opportunity I had that strongly connected me back to my ancestors.
Savannah Grace-Kake, Year 11
