P-Day at Whakatane

P-day Saturday

 

First thing in the morning we went back into the town centre to watch the ‘Ko Ngati Awa Te Toki’. Please do not ask me what that means but basically it was a music festival where different people in this community share their special talent of music. Some of it is a competition and some just people going on the stage and sharing their communal music. It was wonderful. I tried to record the welcome Haka and also the communal Haka that was first sung on stage by a group of children and joined in by most of the audience. I was so excited to share that with you all but……. Both times it didn’t record!!!!!! I had my camera on the wrong setting. I couldn’t see because of the sunshine, shame!!! But I have no idea what I did wrong the second time. I can only think that these Haka’s were so special that they maybe were not meant to be record??? But I have record some music which I hope to able to post to you all. We only stayed and watched for a few hours but the festival was going on for 2 days. I believe it is an annual event so I will put it in my diary for next year.

We went to McDonald’s to check out their Wi-Fi but when we purchased our food we were so excited (not) to eat our food that we came outside then felt too embarrassed to go back in to use their Wi-Fi. I can feel another McDonald’s needed soon! We actually did pop into another one later in the day for an ice cream but their Wi-Fi was rubbish so we couldn’t post any photos or videos anyway.

The countryside in New Zealand it amazing, it is so richly green with rolling hills, that’s my best way to describe it. Again I have a video. We stopped several times to look at the many lakes and the Redwoods, Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua. Hope you are following this on a map. Actually I think I will find a map to post but just for now its south east of Hamilton.

We crossed the bridge over the Waikato River, which I believe is the longest river in New Zealand, and took a scenic route back to Hamilton. Actually me saying we took a scenic route home is crazy because all the routes around here are scenic!!!