Apanui e tū!

Te wikitoria i runga i te aroha!

Returning to my ancestral lands, the lands where I hail from, the land where my parents both rest. the lands that rejuvenates me, the land that connect me, the center of my universe. Raukokore

What a pleasure to go home and this time I was privileged to have two companions, My nohi Mā and our mauri, Te ira wahine, te ira tane.

It was lovely to go home to be apart of Apanui e tū where all hapu come and spend the weekend competing in games, events and kapahaka. It's so neat seeing full participation from kaumātua  right down to our pepi. There was something for everyone.

A few highlights was learning alongside one of our other hapū a waiata tangi and its history and also performing with our hapū alongside my neices, nephews, cousins and uncles.

Its lovely being Eileen or Ed because I look like my mother, it got me all emotional but I got to hear stories of my mother that I had never heard before.

We had all intentions to take the mauri to some special spots around the motu but our mauri decided to sit in our wharenui with my tupuna for all the time we were there. I believe our mauri was re-charging and I am so honoured it chose my whare tupuna to rest and recharge.

Which brings me to the end of my reflection. Its was timely to go home and recharge and take back with me some energies that needed recharging. Tu whakataa