“In the holiday’s we got to paddle a waka with Karitane Maori Tours. The people there were really friendly and everyone said “kia ora” which made us feel welcome. We quickly got our life jackets on and I got to be at the front of the boat – which means I was the captain!
The water was so clear I could see crabs crawling along the bottom – eww. Once we paddled to the other side we all got to plant our own tree and they told us interesting stories of the land and people.
There was lots to do – collect shells, have sword fights with the driftwood and play in the water. We had to watch out though – we saw a giant sea lion hiding in the dunes and it growled at us! I can’t wait to go back one day and see how much my tree has grown… hopefully the sea lion hasn’t.”
Zane (10)
