We travel from Hamilton to Coromandel, where we are invited to visit the Manaia Marae. Manaia Marae is the first "active" Marae we visit. There are mattresses on the floor in the "whare tipuna" and plenty of food and helping hands in the kitchen. Māori culture is fully alive in this part of Aotearoa.
Below: After a Pōwhiri ceremony, we are invited to a fabulous lunch in the "whare kai" (dining house) which is attended by the entire community.
In the afternoon we visit the Manaia School, the local "special character" school. Open officially only for children up to grade 8, this school also welcomes children in secondary programs. This is a very small school with only 54 enrolled students. Māori is the language of instruction. There is a stove in the corner for heating in winter time, the rooms are open and filled with light, and a small stream is close by where some children have gone for a swim. This is the most idyllic school I have ever visited.
We are sitting at the children's desks, listening to the head teacher.
No shoes allowed inside the "whare tipuna"
In the "whare tipuna" at Manaia Marae. Visitors and community members make themselves comfortable on mattresses. It is not considered bad manners to doze off during speeches in this setting, and some of us are taking advantage of this custom. Avanui Black and his cousin give a presentation on the cultural revitalization they have taken part in, as well as the history of language recovery in their family.