Waitangi+Trip

My Waitangi Trip

On Tuesday the 20th of September around 40 students from rooms 10 and 11 were lucky enough to drive up to Waitangi for the day, to increase our knowledge on the Treaty of Waitangi.

To start with I was loaded into a car with Tim, Isaac and Dion. From there it was an hour long journey until we reached the Treaty Grounds (with the added bonus of getting signatures from the Japanese rugby team).

After that, we met a lady called Mrs Brown, who led us to the largest waka in the world Ngatokimatawhaorua where a powhiri was performed. We then walked over to a massive kauri stump, where we posed for a photo.

We learnt about the faces carved into the sides of the waka and how they would protect the warriors when the waka went to war. Later on we took a stroll up to the flagpole where we were told the story of Waitangi. She told us about the first N.Z flag and how it was created. She told us all about the different colonies that came here, but most of she talked about the treaty.

Soon after that we went into the busby house to see what had happened in 1840 and the into a marae that represented all the North Island tribes and the South Island as a whole. Once we had done that we went back down to the waka for lunch and had a run around next to Hobson Beach.

Soon we were clambering back into our cars for the tedious drive home, but I survived. Waitangi was a great experience that I enjoyed and I may even go there again!

By Daniel McInnes Y8