On the 23rd of June, Week 9, I had the pleasure of going to Whakatū (Nelson) to compete in the National Secondary Schools’ Kapa Haka competition as a member of the kapa haka rōpū Kimihia

This consisted of students from four different schools from around Waitaha. The five schools were Christchurch Girls’ High School | Te Kura o Hine Waiora, Christchurch Boys', Cashmere High School, Haeata, and Te Aratai College. 

We travelled away for 5 days. Our days were full of top drops (performing the whole program from start to finish), early mornings, late nights, and many tears. It was exhausting, but we were extremely proud of our performance and achievement. As well as competing, we were lucky enough to watch many other rōpū from around Aotearoa during our time in Nelson. It was inspiring to see so many rangatahi showcasing their love for Kapa Haka and representing their culture. 

The competition ran from Tuesday to Friday. My rōpū performed on Thursday and were 2nd to last out of all 42 groups. For the days leading up to our performance, I was constantly nervous as I wanted to make my kura, whānau, and iwi proud. On Thursday we were up at seven, and then we went straight into warming up, singing, and top drops to prepare ourselves. The getting ready process was one of my highlights over my time away. This was because we got to spend time together before our performance, doing our hair, and makeup and putting on our uniform for the last time.

When we arrived at the Trafalgar Center my nerves were through the roof. We were moved into our holding room where we were able to prepare ourselves before our performance. There was a sense of excitement in the group, as we were ready to give it our all after four months of non-stop practicing and hard work. 

While I was performing it was daunting but also thrilling. I was so proud to be representing my culture and showcasing what I love to do most. Our bracket consisted of six items and lasted for 25 minutes. Afterward, I was sweating and tired but also overwhelmed and happy with my performance. We also got to see our families after we made it off stage, this was so special as they were my biggest supporters during this year's campaign. I was proud to have represented our kura alongside, Charlie McCoy, Dylan McCoy, Tenaya Kireka, Chloe Carswell, Makere Riwai-Couch, Holly Konia, and K’dejia Falwasser.

This experience is something I will never forget and will always be an opportunity that I will always be grateful for. I am grateful for our tutors, the kaimahi, the hosts, and of course Whaea Abbey Hahn for coming along to support us all. 

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē.(My strength does not come from me alone but also from others.)

By Aromea Lee-Reiri