On Tuesday, The whole Tumanako syndicate went to our local marae, named Ngā Hau e Whā O Paparārangi. Walking through the bushy and rough terrain together, we made it to the marae. The marae itself was quite simple; some fridges and a table for food storage and eating, a small-medium sized room for small gatherings of people, and some mattresses stored in a container at the back of the marae for overnight stays. Overall, I think this marae is simple and basic, yet perfect for a small group to stay and “live”.
Going towards the back though, the view was a completely different subject. You could see all of Wellington city, with all the buildings and cars flowing through. The wharf was also a nice view, and after looking around for a while, we drew some pictures about it. I drew the main wharf area, the beach, and the mountains in the background. During our visit into the marae, Whaea Lena told us a story about The Two Taniwha. One taniwha, named Ngake, was eager to do something other than live in a lake with his brother. Suddenly, he had an idea. He was going to break the barrier of rocks! He gathered his speed and blasted through the rocks. Well, at least it felt like it. Although it hadn’t broken the wall, he’d made a dent, and now he was more determined than ever to break through the rocks. He zoomed to the very back of the lake, and completely DESTROYED the rocks! Although, by destroying the barrier, he had unknowingly doomed his brother. Whataitai was beached on the edge of the lake, and only relied on the food that beached up on the shores. And eventually, he got tired and died of overfeeding. It is said that from the whare, you can see Whataitai’s body shape beached up.