Day #6: Native Aotearoa
Welcome to Day #6 of your journey and the last day in the south island. You are going to start the day by traveling 63 km north up State Highway 1 from Dunedin to a place called ‘Shag Point.’ Shag Point is one of five places in the south island where the Maori arrived hundreds of years ago to settle in New Zealand. They arrived at Shag Point in large canoes called ‘wakas.’ For more information on Shag Point and other Maori landing places, go to the Waka landing places website.
http://www.kiwidaydreaming.com/p/new-zealand-maps.html
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…
It was time, to explore throughout this land
But first my crew and I pulled our Waka with force,
Embracing our arrival, we stand
in an anxious state, searching for a course.
We walk in slight agitation, aloud
Past shrubs, woodlands and bugs
Seeing the cultural dances, beyond the sky and clouds
As I was timid, I was hoping for some hugs!
I revolute back, and glance at the sea
Again with hesitation to revolute back,
Spirits are set free,
Which no evils are pitch black!
Tense, Apprehensive and anxious to be here
Despite that I’m safe
I’m still impeccably unsure!
