Winiata’s Blog

Do people ever pay attention to the reality shows on TV about real life tragedies?  Does the message in the gruesome advertisements about the dangers of car crashes ever really get through? So why do people still drink and drive, and make so many stupid mistakes behind the wheel?

The Olympics closing ceremony is on soon. This is the end of two weeks of Olympics and NZ has got 9 medals. In another 4 years the Olympics will be in London England.

They said the opening ceremony was good but I didn’t watch it. I think it was hard to see any because it was always on in the middle of the night. Watching Mahe Drysdale strive to do his best, and the Evers-Swindell twins make gold, was probably the best part of it for me.

Most disappointing was probably the BMX, this was the first year they had BMX and we have a world champion, Sarah Walker, so everyone was thinking she would bring home gold. But she only got 4^th. She fell over in the race but I think it’s unfair that the race for the medals is only one race, and the heats are averaged out over three races.

All in all the NZ athletes did pretty good. It took hard work and a lot of determination over 4 years for them to get that far. Sarah Ulmer could have added to our golds but I think she is retired.

Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators so far during the Olympics that they would like to take back:

1.  Weight-lifting commentator: This is Gregorieva from Bulgaria.. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing.

2.  Dressage commentator: This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother.

3.  Paul Hamm, Gymnast: I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father.

4.  Boxing Analyst: Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious.

5.  Softball announcer: If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again.

6.  Basketball analyst: He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn’t like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces.

7.  At the rowing medal ceremony: Ah, isn’t that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew.

8.  Soccer commentator: Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field.

9.  Tennis commentator: One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them… Oh my God, what have I just said.

On Wednesday we got up early to have breakfast. When we were packed, we hopped into the van and headed off to Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruise. At CTLC we got into a glass bottom boat, and go far out in the lagoon. Kata, Kori and I got to sit on the front with our feet in the water. The captain gave us some coconut oil that, when one rubbed it on our body, might help us get a tan.

After we dropped the anchor, the captain told us a little about the place. Through the glass, we could see the ground, and some coral and fishes around it. We were told that we could get into the water, so we took the honour of going first. When we hoped in, we found that it was a WHOLE lot deeper than I had expected.

This was the best part of my trip. The different colours of fish surrounding me were just incredible. The sight of all the coral and rocks was beautiful. Massive clams on the lovely coral rocks. Colourful fish swimming between the waving sea-weed, and the most awesome part about this is that you are a part of it.

We discovered a lagoon and inner reef area where marine life was abundant. We got to swim and snorkel among schools of colourful butterfly wrasse and triggerfish. We also saw giant crabs in their natural habitat. I swam upside down under the glass. After half an hour under there, I was picking up stones from the seabed, diving all the way down it was amazing.

Later we went to the island and we were given a BBQ lunch. After that we played this game where we had to look for crabs, and I found the biggest one. There was one which was bigger, but the guide said it was too dangerous to get it. There were heaps of crabs, but when I asked whose property we were on, the guide just said, “It’s cool, this is my uncle’s house!” But I got the impression that everywhere he goes he says that.

We were shown a skit about coconuts and a lavalava, like how to wear a lavalava in different ways. It was really funny, we all laughed when they got dressed up in a lavalava and put a coconut inside the lavalava, and sang a song as it swung between their legs.

On Thursday we got to sleep in for ages. Then after breakfast we went for a bit of shopping but I was to discover that I had left my wallet behind. Everyone bought an ice-cream except me. Then we went to the perfumes of Rarotonga, a shop where they make perfumes and other stuff for your skin. After that we went to the snorkelling part of the coast. We swam really far out where there was a diving platform anchored off the beach, out to sea. Right next to it was a big rock with lots of fish around it. Kataroa went back to get some bread. When he came back with it there were lots of other big fish following behind, wanting to eat the crumbs.

After we went back to the cabins and we had a tournament like a triathlon, with three different games – pool, darts and table tennis. The problem was four out of the six teams all got tied. My team didn’t lose one game.

On Friday it was our last full day. Most of the day we spent with my aunty who lives in Rarotonga. She came back to pick us up. We went to her place again, we watched DVDs and we talked most of the day. Then we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. After dinner she took us back to the cabins.

When we got back there was no one around, so we went searching and finally we went to the food hall where the dinners are served, and we found everyone there watching rugby. The All Blacks versus England. After a while my brother Etere decided to go back to the cabin and watch a DVD. Later on everyone else came back and we were told to get our bags ready.

When we got to the shuttle bus, we loaded our bags into the trailer and got on. At the airport we checked our bags in and they looked at our passports again. On the plane I was sitting next to my brother and Josephine. We watched another DVD, but that got boring so we listened to music instead on the radio.

Just before the plane landed in Auckland I looked out the window and saw that it had been raining. When we landed we went to the carousel to get the luggage and stood in line with everyone else, and waited to check out. Then we went through to the public area and our uncle Pompi was there to pick us up.

We got back and had to wait at uncle’s place for about 5 hours until mum and dad arrived. First I fell asleep and slept until noon. Then we played guitar hero on the big screen all the rest of the afternoon until mum arrived. Then we all had tea together, and when it got dark, we drove back to Te Awamutu.

Te Awamutu Intermediate kapahaka roopu went to Rarotonga on the 14^th of June this year. We left on a Saturday and we returned on Sunday the 22^nd of June. We stayed for 8 days at The Edgewater Resort.

We arrived at school on Saturday at noon and we all got into the van and one other car. There were four adults going, Mr McCabe, Tracey Paekau, and two of the mums, Aunty Mel (Kataroa’s mum) and Aunty Linda (Anahera’s mum).

We got to Auckland airport at 4pm and we did a final repack of the luggage. We had to weigh our bags and get then to the check-in. Everyone had the maximum limit on weight because we were also carrying most of the food we would eat while we were there.

After check-in, we went upstairs and spent almost an hour, eating dinner – McDonalds – and looking around at the expensive shops. My brother Etere put his wallet down while he played in the arcade, and that disappeared so already he had no wallet and we weren’t even on the plane yet!

Then we said goodbye to the families that were there, then we finally boarded the plane. I sat with Etere and Pania, and we played cards and listened to music on the headphones.

We finally got there at 1 am in the morning. My first impression when I looked out the window was of how small the island was, judging by the lights I could see. When we landed they put on the brakes straight away because the runaway was so short so it was a fast stop.

We got out luggage from the conveyer belt and we got it stamped and checked. There was a man in the corner with a guitar and he was sing a welcome song, and wearing traditional lavalava and a lei around his neck. We got a lei each from some big cook island local, then we loaded the bags and were off! We could just see the beach as we were driving past to Edgewater resort.

On that first morning we just went into the villas and crashed out in our room. It was so hot that the boys all took their shirts off, even to sleep. It was so strange because it’s winter in NZ and it was hotter than a NZ summer over here, even though it was their winter too.

We were also having another Saturday all over again, because we had crossed the international dateline on our flight. So on Saturday morning we ate a tropical breakfast of all sorts of fruits as well as normal cereal.

Then went to the markets and had a look around at all the local crafts. I bought a slingshot and some food. I loaned $20 to Etere seeing as he had no cash, and he bought the same as me.

After lunch we went on an island hopper, a tour of Rarotonga. We saw all the main attractions like historical sites, the hospital, town, and schools, and some other smaller islands that were part of Rarotonga.

On Sunday we ate another delicious breakfast and then at 9am my aunty Turama came to get my brother and I. My aunty is from Wairoa and she grew up with my mum. In Rarotonga she is a lawyer for an American company. Mum had arranged for her to get us and take us out for the day.  First she took us to the Mormon church in Rarotonga, and everyone else in our group went to another church. Then she took us back to her house and we had lunch there with her and her husband. After that we rode on her scooter around the lawn, and watch a DVD. The best thing about her house was her BIG TV. Later on she took us on a tour of all the back roads and we asked all these questions about living in Rarotonga and about everything else she showed us. That was awesome.

Back at the resort that evening we had dinner with everyone else, then we went for a walk on the beach. The adults were talking and making plans for the rest of the week and aunty Turama was helping them with some ‘inside info’ on what to do and see.

On Monday we went on the highland paradise tour, where we saw the sites like the old marae. The tour guide pointed out all these other places where the Cook Island gods had made sacrifices on a big rock. A lot of their gods were the same as our maori gods, like Tangaroa. We saw the rock that pointed the way to Aotearoa New Zealand. We were told about their early life on the island and other historical information about their tribes.

 Then we had a big lunch with taro and coconut and more fruit. In the afternoon we went snorkelling, and I saw lots of tiny fish.

On Tuesday we were supposed to hire pushbikes and ride around the island but that got cut off the itinerary. So instead we went to the shops all day. That night we had island night at Edgewater Resort. It was held in the restaurant on their stage. There was exotic dancing and drums and performances from the locals. We had a big dinner of roast meats and seafood and curries and lots of salads. There were loads of desserts and cakes and pavlova and chocolate so we ate a lot that night.

This is part one and part two will follow!

My brother Etere has gone to live in Groote Eylandt, it’s a place in Northern Territory, and it’s an island. The traditional owners of the island are the Anindilyakwa People. The island produces 25% of the world’s magnesium. You have to have permission from the traditional owners to live there. My uncle Keith is a park ranger on the island.

Saturday 28 June

Etere just called us from Groote Eylandt to say he arrived there safely, 5pm NZ time.
Their whole whanau was there at the airport to greet him, as his Aunty Anne had a birthday on Friday & the whanau were over there for that. Uncle Boy went out fishing early this morning, but he is due home shortly.
Etere is being shown around by Anne’s boys, and has settled comfortably into ‘their happy chaotic home’ (says Aunty Anne). They just headed down to the beach to see Uncle come in with the day’s catch.
What a relief to know he got there safely, and he assures his poor mum that he doesn’t miss us one bit!!! (Well, the jury is still out on that one, we’ll see in another week or so…….)

Sunday 29^th June.

Uncle Keith wrote…..Etere arrived safe and well and in good spirits. He’s already found what he likes to do – diving! Went for his first dive & loved it….caught 6 crayfish, a coral trout & a huge cod.
He reckons it’s hot at the moment, but wait until the end of the year, it’s REALLY hot. The only good thing is we’ve got the sea breeze…stops us from melting.
Etere was out in the sun yesterday and did not even burn. I thought his skin was quite pale …but he has already turned a bit olive.
He’s rather quiet, but he’s just finding his way at the moment…as he gets to know everyone he will probably participate in more activities. Last night he was asked by another friend of the family if he would like to go to a blue light disco….so that’s what he is doing tonight.
Love from Boy

Tuesday 1 July
Uncle Keith wrote…..We just had fireworks here. We lit about $600 worth of fireworks in 2 hours, awesome! Yesterday Etere worked with me and two other rangers on building a board and chain road above ground, to protect the sand dunes and surrounding native vegetation from being ripped up by rogue travellers.
The Rangers also show him how to drink from a native plant growing wild on the sand dunes. It looks like a kumara, but you can chew it, or tip your head and squeeze the flesh and get the juice to drip straight into your mouth. It’s not bad either, a little bit like a milky coconut, not too sweet.
Today we took the Ranger boat for a run, about 26 kms out to sea. Etere got onto a nice queen fish just 3 kms away from the wharf, and boy was he excited! He did everything his uncle said, except get the fish into the boat. I was teasing him after that, saying we should call this Etere’s “Catch & Release Fishing Safari“…and everyone just cracked up laughing, including Etere. He actually reminded me of Pompi.
About half an hour later he caught 3 trevally, the largest being about 4-5 kilo.
Love from Boy.

Tuesday 29^th July.

We got a call from Australia last night. Etere just got back from 3 days out camping with the TO’s (as opposed to abbo’s) TO = Traditional Owners – of said island. They went bush, stayed in tents. When we asked ‘did you pack everything up when you came home?’ he says ‘no, they live out there permanently (in tents)’. No power, only a genny, oh, and cell phones of course!!
When they leave (presumably to go walkabout) everything is left as is, and no one takes stuff, just remains untouched until they return.
TO’s took him hunting for bush food, bugs and stuff, a small echidna (must be the oz equivalent of a tuatara).
Etere says “….just used sugar-bags for lizards and mud crabs. YES we saw crocs. In fact I saw my first wild croc, but it was heading into the water and I stayed well away. We were cooking on an open fire, on the sand.”

Sounds like he is having experiences he could never hope to have here in T A. But I’m sad that he’s gone not because I miss him (which I don’t!), but because I have to do all his chores as well as mine! I thought that since he’s gone there’d be fewer dishes (hehehe), but there’s still heaps of work!

But, I get to sleep in his big red bed, and have all his blankets too, so that’s alright.