A trip was organised on the 4th of December for the Year 9 and 10 Māori students of Burnside High School to be welcomed onto the Marae in Tuahiwi.

 After the pōwhiri and kai, we introduced ourselves with our Pepeha which is used to make ancestral connections . It was a very eventful day and we visited many iconic Māori landmarks such as the Kaiapoi Pā and Tūhaitara. We learnt about the restoration of native plants and efforts in protecting many of our native animals when visiting the Tūhaitara area. When visiting the pā, we learnt about tribal wars which took place there and how food was transported to and from the pā. These interesting and intriguing landmarks were followed by a lovely lunch prepared by Mr Sandes beside the Pegasus lake. This was a good experience as it was the first time many people had been to Tuahiwi Marae or to a Marae in general. A special thank you to our teachers for organising this trip and the senior Māor leaders who also attended.

- Izzy Prasad, Year 12 Māori Leader