This was set in place for the students to bond as a whole (whakawhanaungatanga) and get to know a bit more about each other. Each person had a chore group and were assigned to their jobs throughout the stay. The first afternoon at the Marae consisted of a heartwarming karanga (traditional Māori call) to welcome on the visitors of Putāruru College, followed by a whai kōrero (a formal speech mainly said by a male) and lastly a historical talk about the Māori land surrounding the Marae and the Marae itself. 

After the pōwhiri, the students went outside onto the grass and played games while some decided to have a sing along outside the wharenui (main meeting house). At 7pm it was time for dinner, lasagne! For the rest of the night everyone had a blast, bonding, singing and presenting their pepeha (who you are and where you come from).  Let’s just say when it was time for bed, it was chaos. 

On Thursday 12 March, the students were split up into boys and girls. Boys learning the whaikorero and girls learning the karanga.  Matua Tiniwaata had given the students a talk about the 12 pou, Ngā Atua Māori (Māori gods) outside Te Rangimarie. He told us who they are and what they represent. We then set off and picked out a favourite of the gods and sketched a portrait of them. That night, we ran through the schedule with our chore groups for the next day, for when the Year 7 & 8’s visit the Marae. 

On Friday 13 March, we all ran through the powhiri routine again to make sure it was done perfectly. The Year 7 & 8’s arrived and had been welcomed onto the Marae by Daley Nicholls, Whaea Stacey and Breiana Rhodes. Once the Year 7 & 8’s had been welcomed on with a karanga, Kyro Stevens, Dayton Marsh and Brayden Paki presented a whaikorero. Once the formalities were over the visitors were split into their house groups and sent to the rotations organised by us. The Year 7 & 8’s had a huge game of ki o rahi and turbo touch with the seniors. At the end of the day there was a house haka competition and a lovely haka performed by the seniors to say thanks to the people who made the noho possible, Matua Tiniwaata, Whaea Stacey, our whānau and the people of  Te Rangimarie Marae. 

Nā McKenzie Purdy.