I spent most of yesterday at Owae Marae celebrating Maui Pomare day.

Sir Maui Pomare was a doctor, one of the first Maori members of parliament and a Taranaki boy. On the Friday & Saturday closest to June 27th they hold a series of celebrations. The Friday is for the locals and the Saturday is for visitors. You can read more about him here http://www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/tangataWhenua/mauipomare.htm .

Anyway, it was a great day with lots of talk, lots of singing and kai (food) of course. I only understood the special guests as all the rest was in Maori but it is wonderful being emersed in a culture that shows it's appreciation of everything through song. I'm guessing none of you have been to a formal Moari occasion - it goes something like this...

• Visitors are called onto the Marae, women first followed by the men
• When you get to the Wharenui (house for everyone) you have to take your shoes off before you go inside and take a seat, important men at the front and everyone else behind, around the walls
• The host welcomes you
• The women sing a waiata (song)
• The senior visitor thanks the host, introduces significant guests and tells the host why they are there
• The visitors sing a waiata

and so it goes. After each speech there is a song by the family and/or supporters of the speaker, it's great! On my long list of things to do is learn maori so I can really appreciate the speeches and on my short list is the waiata classes at work so that I know more than one.

Have you eaten a Tiger?

I have!

This little bit of yumminess is made by the local French cafe and as far as I can work out is made of almond meal with choc chips. The best bit is the dip in the middle filled with chocolate sauce.

Happy New Year!

In June Maori celebrate New Year, known by the stars that rise for the first time. Through most of the country is is known as Matariki but in Taranaki we celebrate Puanga. Matariki is the Seven Sisters or the Pleiades and Puanga is Rigel. If you are up at dawn and facing south on a clear morning you can see them rise.

The tradition is that you remember those who have passed away in the last 12 months and look forward to the coming year of abundance. So at work we have had a whole month of speakers and activities learning about the stars, navigation and the Maori view of climate change and heaps of other stuff. It was topped off yesterday with a day of activities at Puke Ariki and a celebration dinner at one of the local surf clubs, fab food music and dancing, just like New Year should be.

Oh, and I've been to a CD launch and an exhibition opening - seems I've made my way onto some official invite lists.

Lots of travel

Last weekend I was in Christchurch and the weekend before I was back in Aus catching up with family and friends, racking up frequent flyer miles and getting familiar with airport upgrades. Both Christchurch and Sydney are being done up and it makes for some intersting architecture - temporary marque walkways to taxis and forests of supporting poles to be negotiated in order to find the security scanners.

I caught up with 2 friends from Melbourne in Christchurch and we headed to Akaroa which is on the Banks Peninsula about an hour and a half drive south (if you take the direct route). We had lots of fog on the way down but the next day it looked like this...

Which means of course that you have to have breakfast outside appreciating the view

Supporting the wool industry

I am a one woman walking sales pitch for Icebreaker. I now own 4 pieces and love them, love them, love them. Ask anyone I have spent more than 5mins talking to how much I love them and they will tell you.

What am I on about? Merino clothing. They make everything from undies to anoraks all out of pure v v v fine spun merino wool. They are warm, light, don't itch and don't pong, even after a long day when you forgot to put on your deoderant. But best of all you get to meet the sheep that made your item. Honestly the first piece I bought was mostly so I could get my hands on a Baacode. Nope, not kidding. My inner geek girl just had to have one. So go to www.icebreaker.com and in the box where you can put your Baacode type 43AD0EF04 (that's number 0 not letter o) and meet the sheep that made my hoodie.