MĀORI CAMP 2025

"What is harder to get to... Harris Saddle or D3.4?" Last Wednesday on Māori camp, Year 12 mentor Louis Bresanello, articulated this observation after descending the iconic saddle which is also known as Tarahaka Whakatipu. For those of you not familiar with Trinity Catholic College, to reach our upper Dominican Block classroom, D3.4, can be a long and arduous climb!

Since 2013 our Year 10 Māori Studies classes have been 'going bush' to learn about mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge, wisdom, understanding and skill). From walking ngā ara pounamu (greenstone trails) on the Milford Track, fishing in Pātea/Doubtful Sound to traversing Te Komama (Route Burn), our ākonga (students) have found te taiao (nature) to be a bountiful provider and rich context for learning.

Last week Tāhuna/Glenorchy was the location for our 10th wānanga (camp) and we were blessed with settled weather and a wonderful group of people. Our four-day journey from the coast to the mountains also included visiting some of our Catholic primary schools in Central Otago. St Gerard's School, Alexandra was the first stop. After a warm welcome from principal, Julie Flannery, students and teachers from both sides exchanged waiata and haka. The visit concluded with both schools singing 'Ka Waiata' which acknowledged Our Holy Mother in the month of May. Kāi Tahu have been following the mighty Mata-au/Clutha River for centuries and that is what we also did from Beaumont to Tīrau/Cromwell. Cromwell hasn’t always been ‘Cromwell’, even in colonial times. It's first Pākehā name was The Junction. It's ‘official’ Māori name is Tīrau, however it has also been called Kawarau. Once at the top of the lake, Whakatipu wai Māori, you are still about 20 minutes from the striking Paradise Station. This former farm would be our kāinga (home) for the next four days and it did not disappoint. The mountain vista and beautiful Red Beech forest make for a truly idyllic setting. I can see why Taylor Swift filmed her music video 'Into The Woods' here in 2014.

Tuesday on camp was set aside to relax and explore and the group enjoyed a sleep in followed by a walk to an old scheelite mine. Near the mine is a small puke (hill) that has an incredible view of Te awa Whakatipu/Dart River and Kā Tiritiri o te Moana/Main Divide of the Southern Alps. This was a place that we returned to, day and night, for karakia and learning about place names and Māori history. I te pō (in the evening) we were blessed with a special Rākaunui (full moon) that lit up the maunga (mountains) and waiparahoaka (glaciers). Under a perfect night sky we enjoyed laughing, chatting and roasting marshmallows around the campfire.

Rāapa (Wednesday) was an early start for some of our ākonga and pakeke (adults) as they had a choice of a shorter or longer hīkoi (walk). Both groups would follow and learn about the traditional Kāi Tahi travel route that followed Te Komama (Route Burn). Kāi Tahu used Tarahaka Whakatipu/Harris Saddle to access the Whakatipu Kā Tuka/Hollyford River and Tai Poutini/West Coast. Today the Route Burn Track is one of the country's most popular Great Walks. About 10 hours after leaving (Route Burn car park to Conical Hill return), Year 13 mentor and long trekker, Evie de Graaf, looked at her watch and told the group that they had walked 30 kilometres.

After a brisk clean up and farewell to manager Alice at Paradise, we began our journey back to the East Coast. Our next stop was bubbly St Joseph's School, Queenstown. Moananu Pesamino Tili was in top form as kairakuraku (guitarist) and the kapa haka group fed off his energy and delivered an outstanding performance. The manaakitanga and wairua of the occasion was palpable and tumuaki (principal) Alan Grant was deeply appreciative of the time and effort our college had made to connect with his kura. Again the gathering finished with a fitting ode to St Mary - Ka Waiata sung by both schools.

Arriving back in Ōtepoti and it is always a great feeling seeing our rangatahi (youth) reconnect with their loved ones after a wānanga. My sincere thanks goes to Dee Sutherland who was an amazing 'camp mum' and showed us the true meaning of manaakitanga. Moananu Pesamino Tili was a laugh-a-minute and brought his Special Character magic to the hearts of us all. Our Year 13 and 12 mentors did a fabulous job and my thanks goes to Evie de Graaf, Therese Tili, Louis Bresanello, Sonny Huisman and Cole Skipper for their outstanding leadership and support. Lastly to our Year 10s, Camilla Barnes, Manaia Batson, Leo Branford, Izabella Christofoletti, Ziva Curtis, Johnny Garcia-Martin, Deacon Gwilliam Browne, Frankie Parsons-King, Sam Peters, Flynn Simonsen, Maddy Stewart, Ellie Sutherland, Anamalia Tili and Tara Webb. Thank you for your mahi aroha and at times resilience and perseverance! You are now part of the Māori camp whakapapa forever.

Nō reira, e te whānau, kei te mihi, kei te mihi, kei te mihi.