Robert (New Zealand) - "Ko au te awa, Ko te awa ko au"

"I am the river and the river is me"

Hoea te waka.

The rivertrip down the Whanganui was beautiful. We paddled down the river in 6 person canoes with ferns on the bows. Most of the way he banks were 30 foot cliffs on either side, punctuated by waterfalls and slot canyons. It rained the first day which was actually really nice, it's been very dry lately. We ran rapids, pitching water up over the bow. We ate an insane amount of food, I have never been on a wilderness trip with that much food before. We traveled with Maori guides, staying in maraes along the river.

Traveling with the Maori was an amazing experience. In the guided tour setting it's always hard to pull apart what is genuine and what is tokenized culture, but the trip was very eye opening and very real. One of the maraes we stayed at was an illegal occupation on government as a statement by the local tribes that they still have claim to the land. Being welcomed onto a marae is a very specific ceremony that comes from the time when the tribes were often waring and there needed to be a clearing of hostilities when guests arrived. Once you've been welcomed though, you're accepted as port of the extended family of that marae.

Maori culture is strongly based in ancestor worship. Ancestry is traced back into legend, ultimately to the land, and the nothingness before the creation of the world. For the people of the Whanganui the river is not only their home and their sustenance, but also their ancestor. It gives a whole new aspect to the environmental/cultural issues surrounding the land.

Well, much more could be said, but I should wrap this up. It's hard to explain on the internet anyway. Overall it was an amazing trip with great scenery, great people, and it raised a lot of good questions to ponder. We only have about a week left on the north island before we travel down to Christchurch for our home stays.

Waka ta.


Things I have been enjoying:
-That there is a plastery service in Wanganui called "Totally Plastered"
-The range of snoring sounds people in our group make, from a cat's meow to coffee percolator (ok, I don't really enjoy this, but it is funny)
-Exchanging bad pick-up lines with our guides
-The sound of six paddles rowing in unison
-Going out to the pub with the group
-Studying social relations in real life instead of a classroom