Sunday 3rd day 6

Very tried at this stage of tour but it was onwards and upwards. Went to the top of hill overlooking Wellington and took a neat picture of Louie about to be blown away.
Today we went onto a Marae. gappa's sister is part of the Tainui Marae of the Ngati Raukawa Tribe. he is charged with calling us on and there are various protocols we have to follow. We pull up outside what looks like a tiny village, just a few buildings surrounded by a fence. No hats, cameras or phones are allowed as we are called on (louie has a big strop about the hat). A woman from the tribe is asinged to us to help us, her surname is Williams so she is "Welsh for the day" We have to stay bunched beyind her and progress only when called. There is various singing back and fore between our Williams and moari on the marae. We move slowly forward as a tight group and eventually get to the prayer house. we remove our shoes and move to the left of the prayer house sitting on the matresses provided. we are welcomed on with a couple of speeches. Gappa gives one and presents a gift (money) in Moari. Our host makes a cock up and has to apologise to his various elders before continuing. More singing and we have to sing a song, unfortuatley he asks for Bread of Heaven which only me and Ken know the verses for and I know it's down to me. It's very different singing on the bus after a grand slam very very drunk as it is on request of a Moari elder in his prayer house very very sober and on your own. We weren't very good but we also sang the National anthem and maybe sospan fach. We were told how the tribe had a special affinity for Whales/Wales as they were on the shoreline. It was also a special occasion because there great Uncle (I think) was returning to the prayer house after almost exactly 25 years (I think) in the form of his walking stick. I had to give a little speech in thanks for their hospitality. It was quite scary and very humbling. we then had to do the traditional 'touch noses' greeting which Dai Ed took too literally- actually touching the guy's nose with his finger.
Once called on we could get our cameras, phones and hats (Louie forgot all about his) and take pictures of anything but the prayer house. They had a camp fire going and were preparing a Hangi. Gappa and Marsh went to fetch beer. The Marae consists of the Prayer house, a small school, a small hall with a kitchen attached and a toilet/shower block. There is no accomodation as such and the place is a community center/church/graveyard/meeting place combo type of thing. We spend a nervous time shyly chatting to people and trying not to make inapropriate jokes. We are to sleep in the Prayer house so i make sure top snorer Dai Newson is in the opposite corner to me by the door. One of the Moari turns out to be half Irish whilst many have welsh ancestry as bourne out by a quick visit to the graveyard (wash hands afterwards as spirits can't pass water). We are told the current Marae is about 100 years old but used to be on the adjacent hilltop which was fortified until the catholics turned up. It's now got a big cross on it. The elder who has spoken most expalins a little about the history of the tribe and that the man who wrote the 'Ka mate' Haka used to seek refuge with them when hiding from various enemies. There are actually numerous hakas but Ka mate is the one the All Blacks do. he explains the meaning and although i had read translations before it is very different having it explainned to you by a Moari elder. Some of the boys played rugby against the children there.
The Hangi was then dug up. they use the Hangi to cook meat and potaoes. A framework of criss crossed wood are seperated by volcanic stones placed in a large hole in the ground. The wood is then lit and the stones fall down as the wood burns away. The food is then placed on the stones and covered in damp clothes and buried. They cooked loads of food on it. There was enough (once we had prayed etc) for all 25 of our party and about the same number from the tribe and they still put about half of it back in the fridge. there was more nervous singing afterwards and we were each given a tie with a moari design i think designed by a tribesman. we gave them a Warriors tour tie and a national anthem paper weight. the children helped the elder give us a quick demo of the haka. We held our Kangeroo court in front of the asembled tribe, thankfully they loved it. 'Hymns and Araias' also went down well.
there was then some gentle drinking and a sit around the camp fire before bed in the prayer house. I slept like a log, one of the best 'camping' sleeps I've ever had but Gary Shed was up at 6am helping get brekkie ready (oh well).