Last month, a group of Year 9 students completed a four-hour guided hīkoi of the Papamoa Hills to supplement their learning of the newly implemented Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum.

The class of 9P students were fortunate to be guided by Matua Les Milliard, whose ancestors have lived in the region for generations. He shared the rich history of the Papamoa Hills and beyond.

Thank you to our parent helpers, Mr Richardson and Ms Van Zyl.

The following poem by student Ivy Barrett-Hodgson provides a fine reflection of the hīkoi:

As I walk, I can feel:

The long damp grass brushing against my bare legs,

The light breeze dancing over my skin,

And the warm sunshine enveloping me.

With my eyes, I can see:

The sparkling ocean stretching out in front of me,

The steep green hills dropping down on either side of me,

Fields forming a pattern of green and brown across the ground,

And strong Pa reaching up to the sky.

With my nose, I can smell:

The stench of sheep poo rotting in the sun,

The damp ground slowly drying,

And the scent of the ocean carried on the breeze.

With my ears, I can hear:

The quiet chatter of my classmates all around me,

The chirping of the cicadas,

And the occasional chirp of a lonely bird.

With my mind, I can think:

About the great Pa who have defended Māori for generations,

The beautiful nature that is spread out around us,

And the stories of the fierce Māori.