The place of the leaping spirits 

Zorbing

The vans lined up

Tereks van passing Mr. Gooden 

What I learned in New Zealand

By: Taty

Marae at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds 

            I think New Zealand was an excellent place for a cultural exchange. They’re so advanced in their culture compared to our village. The Māori people teach their kids the native language first before they teach English and they talk in Māori at home too.

            Their curriculum and teaching was way different than ours. They still have to go through their government with everything but it’s more open than ours. They found ways to combine their culture and schooling. I think it’s awesome. All of the communities support them fully and would do anything to keep the schools open. When one of the schools first got started some of the community members came in and taught for free until they got funding to pay the teachers.

The gannet trip

Shea and a tree stump

            The landscape was so different compared to Igiugig. There were lots of hills and grass. Their trees were really different than ours. There was one place where I thought there were spruce trees but they had really long needles and they where drooping, they where called wilding pines. Wilding pines are not native to New Zealand.

The New Zealand trip was amazing. We learned so many new things. I don’t think that I would have thought of a better place to experience a new culture. If I had the chance I would definitely go again.

Haumoana Marae