Last term, Room 3 went on a hīkoi around the city to visit places of significance to Ngāi Tahu within Ōtautahi Christchurch. We stopped at Tūranga to observe Paikea, the whale rider mural on the side of the building, the Margaret Mahy playground, Victoria Square Pūare Pā site, the Bridge Of Remembrance, the statue of Kate Sheppard, and Te Pae.

While we were going around we looked at the artwork and engravings and discussed some of their meanings, especially celebrating Ngāi Tahu’s cultural connections to the areas along the Ōtākaro awa.

Some of the artwork we saw was just for fun though, like someone had actually made a pair of headphones and a boom box for Queen Victoria! We also saw many of the beautiful tiled mats around the city.

We ended with a bit of a play at Magaret Mahy and some of us got a bit wet from the water on the equipment, but overall it was a great day listening to Whaea Chrissy share her amazing Māori history knowledge with us.

Aarna

Room 3