Day 7, Activity 1

While in Taupo, you go for a walk around the lake and you notice pieces of rubbish floating in the water. You also notice that there is rubbish on the footpath. As you know, it is really important to put rubbish in the bin and keep New Zealand clean and beautiful for generations to come.

With that in mind, it is time think about what you can do to keep New Zealand beautiful. Use your imagination and come up with three things that you could do to make your neighbourhood more beautiful. Post your list on your blog ☺

How can I make my neighbourhood more beautiful?

1. Daily Exercise and Rubbish Pick-Up - as my family and I go for our morning exercise around our neighbourhood, we could pick up rubbish as we go and see who collected the most, gets out of dishes duty for the day.
2. Monthly Yard Help - My family and I could help the elderly people on our street with any yard work, rubbish collecting around their yards that might need doing.
3. I would really love to have a doggy do-do bag dispenser and doggy do-do bin set up somewhere in our neighbourhood.  This would help with doggy do-do we have on people's’ lawns.

I think that if I did these things this would help my neighbourhood look more beautiful.

Day 6, Bonus Activity

As part of the Matariki festival, there is a two day Kapa Haka competition. The haka is a traditional war dance that Maori performed before going into battle. The haka is now performed by children/adults in the community and by professional sporting teams, including our national rugby team, the ‘All Blacks.’  The All Blacks have performed various haka over the years. Watch the following three haka videos (1 – 3) and, on your blog, list the haka videos in order from best (#1) to worst (#3). There are no right or wrong answers ☺

#1. World Cup 2015 – All Blacks vs Argentina result 26-16 (RWC 2015 Match)

#2. All Blacks vs South Africa 2016 ( 41-13) ABS Win

#3. Rugby World Cup 2011- All Blacks vs France (RWC 2011 8-7) ABs win! Piri

HAKA REVIEW

I think I have mentioned before that my family is RUGBY MAD!  So I felt it only right to invite my family to watch and rate the 3 haka performances.  We all agreed that every haka is special, amazing and powerful, but some haka were that much more special because they helped to set the tone for the All Blacks and go them hyped up.   

1st Place

#3. Rugby World Cup 2011- All Blacks vs France

(Piri Weepu, Ali Williams, Richard Kahui were awesome in this haka)

2nd Place

#1. World Cup 2015 – All Blacks vs Argentina.

3rd Place

#2. All Blacks vs South Africa 2016

Day 6, Activity 2

After visiting Shag Point, you hop back in the van and drive all the way up the east coast of the south island until you reach the town of Picton. You get out of the van and onto the Interislander ferry. It travels back across the Cook Strait to Wellington. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and every winter the city hosts a huge Matariki festival to celebrate the Maori New Year. This year part of the festival is being held at Te Papa, a big museum in Wellington.

Read about the Matariki festival at Te Papa.  There are so many different things to see and do at the festival this year. On your blog, tell us about three of the events. You can choose any three events that you wish.

https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/sites/default/files/matariki-rising.jpg

Wow!  Te Papa celebrates Matariki in a big way.  Not only are they doing lots of things here at Te Papa, but all over Wellington.  I have picked 3 events I would really loved to have gone to.

1. Nga Kai o Matariki: Celebrating Maori Cuisine - Food!  Food!  Glorious Food!  I love food and so does my family.  I would have loved to have learnt how to make some traditional Maori kai as well as taste test some as well.  I did see that Sarah and Jay from My Kitchen Rules were going to be speaking as well.
2. Star Weave Jam - This was an event where people could join in and make an 8 point star out of ribbon, to raise awareness about domestic violence.  Lots of people from around the world, had joined the project and sent stars that they had made to join with those made during Matariki here in New Zealand.  I like to do arts and crafts, but also this would have been for a good cause.
3. Kaumatua Kapa Haka - how awesome to watch kuia and koro perform some old waiata.  My grand-uncle, Michael and his wife were part of this event.  I would have loved to have watched them.

Day 6, Activity 1

Let’s imagine that you were on the first waka to arrive at Shag Point. You had never been to New Zealand before and you had no idea what to expect. Write a poem describing how you would have felt when you arrived in New Zealand. Would you have been excited or scared? I would have felt pretty nervous, I reckon…

We came from afar

All I see are ngā kapua ma (white clouds)

What if the people are freaky

In this whenua kakariki (green earth)

Hey wait we are the only ones here

There really is no need to fear

A beautiful home we will make

Aotearoa is ours to take

Day 5, Activity 2

After the adventure at The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, you are pretty happy to get back into the shuttle van and continue with your road trip. Over the next few hours you travel up and over the Southern Alps, arriving in the city of Christchurch to eat lunch. You have a delicious meal at a café downtown and then hop back into the van to travel to Twizel, a small town at the base of Aoraki-Mt Cook. Mt Cook is the largest mountain in New Zealand. It is also the mountain where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his climb up Mt Everest – the tallest mountain in the world. Sir Edmund Hillary is very famous because he was the first person to ever reach the top of Mt Everest!

Now it is your turn to learn about a famous New Zealander. Use Google to research one famous person from New Zealand and then create a DLO (Digital Learning Object) and post it on your blog. Be sure to include: 1. The name of the famous person, 2. Where they were born, 3. Why they are famous, and 4. Two other interesting facts about them.

Day 5, Activity 1

After a few hours in the car, you, your group and Curious Kiwi arrive at your first stop – The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve. It is a beautiful, regional park located at the base of the Southern Alps. You and your group get out of the van and follow Curious Kiwi. He is going to lead you on a short walk through the park. As you start walking, you notice a really cool looking tree on the side of the trail and you stop to take a closer look. When you turn back, the group (and Curious Kiwi) is nowhere to be found. Eek! You are all alone in the middle of a strange forest.

For this activity write a short story (8-10 sentences) about what might happen next. Please be sure to include lots of details about what you might be feeling, seeing and doing after you realise that you are all alone in the forest...

No way!  It can’t be…

Hey guys, look at that tree over there, it looks just like Bruno Mars...only greener, and more wood-like.  Guys?  Hey guys?  

I turn back to see that no-one is behind me.  I can’t even hear any other voices, no footsteps.  Surely, I can’t have moved that far from the group.  I was just excited about this tree.  Actually, the more I look at it close up, it looks just like every other tree here.

My heart starts to beat a little faster, my eyes flit this way and that, hoping to catch a glimpse of Curious Kiwi’s hi-vis vest.  I am surrounded by the sounds of the bush.  I am starting to panic.  I hate being alone in the dark.  It feels cold here in the forest, I don’t like the idea of staying here in the dark forest, alone.  I begin to cry.  I don’t know what else to do, if I try to walk back the way I think I came, I could get more lost.

I say a little prayer hoping that someone will find me soon, I don’t want to be stuck here.  As soon as I finish my prayer, I begin to feel better.  I know that I am going to be fine. And alright.

Day 4, Activity 2

After a morning of learning about beached whales in Golden Bay, you and your group are driven to a nearby town, Nelson, to watch a special movie called ‘Whale rider.’ It is a famous movie about a young girl who was born and raised in New Zealand. Watch the following movie trailers for Whale Rider: Whale Rider trailer #1 and Whale Rider Trailer #2 and then write a summary of the movie on your blog. What is it about? Be sure to also give the movie a rating out of 5 based on the trailer [1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

http://www.incrementa.ca/leadership-succession-whale-rider/

Name of the Film: Whale Rider

Based on a book “The Whale Rider”, written by a famous New Zealand author, Witi Ihimaera.

Where is it set?

The movie is set in beautiful New Zealand, in Auckland and a place on the East Coast of New Zealand called Whangara.  Interesting fact: My grandfather lived here when he was a little boy, before moving to Gisborne.

What is the movie about?

This movie is about a girl named Paikea.  The name of an old Maori tupuna of hers, that arrived in Aotearoa on the back of a whale.  The name was handed down to firstborn boys only.  

Paikea’s naming causes disagreements in her family.  Her koro (grandfather) claims that because of Paikea, their family has experienced hardships and trials.  

In an attempt to make things right, Paikea’s koro tries to train up the other firstborn boys in the area.  Paikea is left out and is then taught the skills that all the boys are learning by another man, her uncle perhaps..

I think this movie teaches about the traditions of Maori, love and courage.

Who are the stars?

Keisha Castle Hughes, Cliff Curtis.  Witi Ihimaera was an Associate Producer

Rating:

[1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

I would rate this movie a 4=good movie.  

I think my family and I will try and watch this before the holidays finish.  Will keep you posted.