Womad

Last weekend was the first Womad since lockdown and it was fabulous to be back. 

Planting Kuta

It’s been a pretty standard week but last weekend the weavers went to help plant Kuta at Zealandia. Kuta grows in the water and when harvested and dried makes wonderful whariki/mats and rain capes. As you can see I managed to find the deepest part of our planting are and got the wettest. 

Not sure how long our planting will take to establish or when we might be able to harvest but we’re looking forward to it.  Until then we have some to play with kindly handed on by the gatherers. 

Going Up

The building next door to work is officially above ground!

Te Matatini!

Four years ago Te Matatini, a massive biannual kapa haka competition, was held in Wellington. I took leave and basked in complete cultural overload. 

This year after Covid delays it’s on again, this time in Tāmaki/Auckland. I’m not there in person but I’m glued to the livestream (extra screen added to my work from home set up), in a live chat with other haka tragics at work and…

Have a big day planned glued to the couch for the finals today (Saturday). The experience is not the same but the overload definitely is! Just quietly it’s not been my most productive few days. 

Fair Weather

One of the victims of Covid was the Petone Fair but this year it’s back and after a week of very dodgy weather from the edge of a cyclone it’s a perfect day. 

And a nice haul came home including quite a few birthday presents. 

Waitangi

It’s been a weird and busy week but it started with a wonderful Waitangi Day at the Wharewaka with the weavers. 

Monster Success

My project for the weavers weekend away was a monster kete with a very specific purpose. It started like this…

Then became this

And finally this, braced so it dried to particular measurements

Why?  For this!

Perfect fit and weird hanging down handles also perfect for the job.