Week 4 the FINAL week
EG: As you know, we are in New Zealand right now, and we’ve been learning a lot about the indigenous people here, the Maori. Honestly, it’s been such a cool experience seeing their culture up close. We found out that the Māori first arrived here over 700 years ago, travelling all the way from Polynesia in huge canoes. It’s crazy to imagine how skilled they must have been to navigate across the ocean like that. Later, Europeans came, and in 1840 they signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Even though it was meant to create peace, it caused a lot of problems, like land loss and conflict for the Maori people. But despite that, their culture is still strong today. While we’ve been here, we’ve also seen some amazing traditions. One of them is the hongi, which is a greeting where you press noses together. It represents sharing breath and life. We also watched a performance of the haka, and it was honestly so powerful. The chanting, the movements, the energy it gave me chills. And then there’s ta moko, which is traditional tattooing. It’s not just decoration, it tells a story about a person’s identity and their family. Being here has made me realize how important Maori culture is to New Zealand. It’s everywhere from language to art to ceremonies and it’s treated with a lot of respect. I think what I’ve learned most is how connected everything is. The people, the land, and their history. Traveling here with my friends and learning all this together has been such an unforgettable experience. It really shows how important it is to understand and respect indigenous cultures. This was a great experience!
After arriving in Auckland, we got tickets to watch the All Blacks play live at Eden Park. None of us really knew what to expect, and honestly, we were just happy to experience something so typically Kiwi. The first thing we wanted to know was why they are called the All Blacks. We debated this on the way to the stadium. It turns out the name comes from their all-black kit, which they've worn since their first tour to Britain in 1905. There's a fun story about a British journalist who accidentally wrote "All Blacks" instead of "All Backs" when describing how skillfully each player moved around the field, and the name just stuck. Whether it's true or not, we liked the story. Then came the moment that truly amazed all three of us. Before the match kicked off, the All Blacks performed the Haka, specifically the version called Ka Mate. The whole stadium went quiet and then exploded with energy. Fifteen huge guys stomped, slapped their chests, bulged their eyes, and roared directly at the opposition. One of us literally grabbed the other's arm. It's a traditional Maori war dance, and seeing it live in a packed stadium is something none of us will forget anytime soon. As for the match itself, we went in expecting to be mildly entertained but left feeling electrified. Rugby is fast, physical, and relentless. The crowd sang and chanted the entire time, and the energy inside Eden Park was unlike anything we had felt before. The All Blacks won easily, and by the final whistle, we were hugging complete strangers. After the game, we were full of adrenaline and ready for another match, but sadly, we had to leave because our vacation was over. (NB)
The last week in New Zealand, we were driving through countryside so empty it felt like the world had been paused. No houses. No lights. Just long grass bending in the wind and a road that kept disappearing into the dark like it didn't want to be followed. It was supposed to be a short drive to a campsite. It wasn't. The first strange thing was the silence. Not normal quiet. This was the kind of silence where even the car felt louder than it should have been. No insects. No birds. Just the engine and the soft crunch of gravel under the tires. Then we saw the dog. Standing on the side of the road. Completely still. Too still. Its posture was off, like someone had seen a dog before, but only in a memory that wasn't very accurate. We kept driving. About ten minutes later, we saw it again. Same dog. Same spot. We all went quiet. "That can't be the same one," someone said, but nobody sounded convinced. A few minutes later, it appeared a third time, closer now. It didn't move like it was tracking the car. It moved like it already knew where we were going to be. That's when the radio cut out. The road started to feel wrong too, like it was repeating small details: the same broken fence, the same crooked tree in a different place. Then we saw it again, standing in the middle of the road. It looked taller. Not by much. But enough. Like it was trying to remember how to be a dog and getting it slightly wrong. It stepped off the road into the grass and kept pace with us, parallel, as the grass around it began to move.We just kept driving until everything felt normal again. We never saw that dog again. At least… not on the road.
Thank you for following our trip through Australia and New Zealand. We hope to do it all again and blog every moment of it next time!(OS)