It’s a green piece of pie for me. I’m interested in the environment. Our ancestors made lots of unfortunate mistakes in bringing their animals here. Stoats to get rid of rabbits for example. Possums and ferrets too. Ouch! The last government gave predator free 2050 a good nudge with jobs for nature enabling better practice for trapping and replanting of areas unfit for development. This government is seriously going backwards on our environmental gains. They talk about a green economy, then bring back talk if mining, even on conservation land. Words fail me. It’s just a dumb move to attack nature on one hand and expect tourists to flock to see our beautiful scenery on the other. Where has intelligent thinking gone??
Green for me as well Sally. My genius Aussie, recent environmental pest control boffins made what is probably the worst possible choice for eradicating beetles which threaten sugar cane crops, by letting loose what are now known as cane toads. The boffins forgot to check if these toads could jump high enough to eat the beetles. Nope. There’s now hundreds of million of them eating their way across the country decimating or, in some cases causing the extinction of, native species as they go.
I was also a bit famous for catching snakes, lizards and whatever else I could, and releasing them in the garden. That went down very well in the middle of Sydney! I did however, manage to change some peoples’ minds about the value and beauty of the creatures they had beforehand dealt with scorn, and the occasional shovel.
Blue and yellow equal next. I spent a lot of my childhood and growing up years absorbing encyclopedias, atlases and National Geographic magazines. It’s a remarkable world we live in and there’s so much to learn.
The histories of both our countries isn’t always pleasant to discover or accept, but it’s part of who and what we are. Attitudes can be altered over time, with care, respect and acknowledgment of past mistakes, but the history remains. The word “history” itself implies that which has happened. It’s up to us modern history makers to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
PS. I forgot to mention that “Cane Toad Golf” is very popular in Queensland. I’ll let you figure out how it’s played………
Well it has to be history for me - and music / arts. All inevitably tied up with politics. I honestly don't think you can separate them. What is happening now is history in the making with the huge shift going on in the US, and the inevitable consequences of a government like CoC. The growing unease about where our country (and the planet) is heading will give life to more music and art which is an expression of that. You would be hard put to find any composer or artist who would argue. Or at least none I know. BTW Chelsea is also the daughter of Jonathan Crayford, amazing pianoist/ muso and friend. He plays Bach, but also composes, and is an internationally regarded jazz player. I am in awe of him.
History would be my choice. Probably not surprising, as I work as an archaeologist. Just a quick comment on Kerikeri and the Stone Store / Kemp House. Both these structures are in this location because of Kororipo Pa, visible across the river from the Store (https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/7598/Kororipo). Another story of entanglement and relationships between early European and iwi. If we understand the full story how we ended up here today, we won't fall prey to the simplistic rhetoric of the neoliberals.
It's the swampy area that floods every year, the missionaries were given, overlooked and controlled by the Paa. The paa owner decides who gets to trade at the Store and who isn't, as the access to the place is through the whirlpool on the river by boat. You have to sail all around the Paa before you get to the Store.
Like you Nick I am also a fan of history and the many tales that can be told and read about from past eras. Maybe from my perspective also there is quite a bit of my life that is now history. Also as an aside there is series of books available called TrueTales Of ... which have been written about various places in Aotearoa by those who have lived there and describe their lives in those places. The various "authors" have their writing edited into a book which can be of interest to those who relate to that place. e.g. True Tales Of Whangarei one of many.
In December I decided I could and would attend Waitangi Day at Waitangi for the first time. Throughout my life I gave been involved in education, mainly in the Wellington region. 6th Feb has not been an easy time to head north.
This year I realised I could take a week, visit friends who'd. moved to the north and attend Waitangi.
I flew to Auckland picked up a rental and headed up the West to the Hokianga Harbour. I stayed with friends at Kohukohu and then drove to Russell. Where I'd never been before. On Waitangi morning I boarded a ferry to Waitangi and at 4am and was present for the dawn service and the morning.
During the afternoon I returned to Russell.
I loved the trip up and it helped to explore and understand more of Northland early 19th century history. It was great to see what remains of the Kauri forest.
The history of Kororareka was also good to explore in person and give context to te Tiriti.
The ease of approach to Waitangi by ferry was good though rising at 3am and after the ferry making my way amidst crowds in the dark to the upper grounds was a bit daunting.
I sat on the ground between the house and the flag pole and watched a big screen of the service. Interesting to be amongst those gathered and experience that in person and watch the dawn break I met two women who come every year from Dargaville and it was great to talk to them. I then made my way down and happened on a Marque where there was a panel discussing how this year's service had included some more traditional Māori elements as well as Christian. I found that interesting to hear. Following that there was a panel of some of the people who coordinated and the young ones lead the hkoi carrying the banner.
I wandered a few stalls but by then i started to feel the 3am start. Luckily ferries were returning to Russell via Paihia and so I got on board.
Some of the waka were in the bay after their haka.
So my experience was a complement to yours Nick a different part of the day and different physical approach. In the afternoon I went to the museum and up the hill to the flagpole.
I am pleased I went. I learnt more about context. It was was great to see how many young people were present and participating.
It helped that I had read a range of perspective and attended many workshops over the years. I think Claudia Orange's smaller book is a good introduction for those who think reading history is dry as some context is needed.
Fabulous to hear of your experience. Can I clarify that you got a ferry from Russell to Watangi - I assume below the treaty grounds rather than the main pier back in Paihia? That seems like a great way to get there without cars and parking.
Yes a 4am Ferry direct from Russell to Waitangi Pier and returning ferries from Waitangi pier via Paihia. Yes avoids the need for parking etc. I only really knew this when the final programme came out.
🙋Nature/environment - good news/bad news; history - related to current events or items in "the news" prime example Waitangi Day AND witch burning/vilification of high profile females; science/health/astronomy - new advances & discoveries. All of these are basically "stories behind the stories" wherein you might see a headline but it is interesting to know WHY & if we ourselves should/could do our bit by having more knowledge.
And absolutely keep the politicians under the microscope & expose their bad stuff & elevate the good stuff (need to do more of the latter across the motu if we want to convince people to vote for a better coaltion next time 🤷)
I am also descended from one of the Waimate North missionaries and finding out about them, 200 years on, has been fascinating. I too recommend Richard Shaw's book The Unsettled. There is a newish genre in Aotearoa of finding out and coming to terms with your own colonial/colonist history, of which Richard Shaw's book is a leading example. Start by asking older family members if they know where family property and artifacts came from and why ancestors came here in the first place.
My current interest, in the light of the report of the Royal Commission on Abuse, is finding out whether any family members were institutionalised or staff of such places. Many of the big institutions were working farms housing hundreds of people. A significant percentage of NZers were institutionalised during the last century for all sorts of reasons, including post natal depression (and some never got out)..
In my own whānau a great aunt was 'in Porirua' but no one knew why - possibly after a still birth. She was never released and I never met her. Her husband visited her every Sunday. Another relative was in another institution and was revealed to the family as a shy elderly woman when it closed. Again, no one knew why - it was thought that she had some kind of break down as a teenager. Her brother never married supposedly out of the eugenic fear of inherited mental illness.
I agree that if we don’t know our history we will make mistakes now that affect our future, however if we don’t have healthy ecosystems that provide us with the services we need for survival we are in trouble. And we don’t know enough about them.
There is no denying the popularity, and sense, of the whakatauki “He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata he tangata he tangata”.
But, imo, we don’t pay enough attention to “Toitu te marae a Tane, Toitu te marae a Tangaroa, Toitu te iwi" (If the realms of Tane and Tangaroa are sustained, then so too will iwi).
History; I have degrees in history and in sociology, and I teach the history of Aotearoa New Zealand, human rights, and conflict resolution. Second choice is art & literature, as I love both, and my family is heavily involved in the arts and music. I have to include politics as well, which is interwoven with the study of history. I've always been interested in history - maybe this is because of my own background, with ancestors from many different places, and having lived all over the world - I went to 14 schools when I was a child. My ancestors come from Ireland, Scotland, Romany (gypsy), England, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Bengal. I was born in Malta, and I grew up in Malta, Aotearoa New Zealand, England, Australia and the USA. As an adult I've lived in different countries and travelled the world, but Aotearoa is home and I identify as Tangata Tiriti.
Sounds like some fantastic tales to tell. Am I right in thinking that you live in that little seaside village across the harbour where my folks also live? I was wondering if I could buy you a coffee sometime and have a chat?
I remember, when I was about 16, seeing Cream's first album - Fresh Cream- in a window display in a Dunedin record shop. We didn't have a record player, so it was some years before I got to hear it.
History, especially history of NZ epidemics and pandemics, and New Zealand Disasters.
My personal experiences as a victim of the Poliomyelitis epidemic in 1946/7 which closed NZ schools. The book by June Opie "Over My Dead Body" telling of her life in an iron lung after contracting Polio' in London on a trip, which I read aged sixteen, as I had experienced days in an iron lung. Then as a sixty seven year old visiting Nobby, a small town in NSW Australia, to find a Museum honouring Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who pioneered the "Physio" treatment of Polio' to "retrieve" damaged muscles. It was amazing to see pictures of my exact treatments chosen over the usual leg brace/caliper. Treatments I took part in at Waikato Crippled Children's hospital over nine months, later with home exercise programmes 'till I was fully grown at age sixteen. The refusal of the medical fraternity to accept new thinking, especially that of a Nurse was evident to a six year old!! We were fortunate in having one of her devotees work with me and my family.
On a more general level, New Zealand Disasters. The story of Ballantyne's Fire and how that changed Fire Safety at work Places and Fire responses. The eruption of Mount Tarawera, leading to the loss of the Pink and White Terraces and the prediction of disaster by the visiting German-Austrian geologist Ferdinand Von Hochstetter, and the experiences of the eruption survivors. The Wahine Ferry Disaster, pertinent in the current Ferries debacle caused by Willis and CoC. Travelling round New Zealand, especially the south Island where large cemeteries had stories of loss on the Headstones. Children to illness and accidents, young men and women in their twenties to river crossings which were a common cause of death. and the very occasional long life . Going to Waitangi and Russell when doing 3 house sits at Okiato and using the Opua ferry, and reading up on the local history. Education changes in NZ and the results. according to different groups.
Great variety of topics covered in today's korero!
Interesting comments too, thank you.
I don't play Trivial Pursuit or go to Pub Quiz nights because my knowledge of the various subjects isn't good enough and I don't want to show my ignorance!
IF I had a better memory, History and Politics would be my subjects of choice.
Slightly off-topic for today, but relevant to what has currently been happening on our motu: I have discovered a series of podcasts entitled Treaty Talks hosted by Kara Rickard.
So far I've watched episode 4 featuring the wonderful Whaea Dame Ella Henry, and episode 6 featuring a very impressive and articulate young tane Te Weh Wright.
This morning I watched the oral submission opposing the Treaty Principles Bill by former New Plymouth mayor and self-confessed reformed racist Andrew Judd. Excellent presentation.
The Art and Literature, Science and Nature categories are my equal preferences. History is a close second. My nightmare category is Sport and Leisure. When you get to the part in the game where you pick a category for your opponent, Jeremy will challenge me with sport and leisure, if I am choosing I always give him questions from entertainment, his weakest area of knowledge (and he doesn’t have many).
Interesting kōrero today. I love hearing about the history of people and places. It’s not easy finding out about NZ history, often books on the subject can be dry as dust and rather boring which is unfortunate, and quite an achievement, to write something an avid reader and lover of history can fall asleep over.
I came here from England with my family, £10 poms as they called us. It was a very long time ago now, but I can remember that there was scant information about NZ history around, and certainly not in school. There was no mention of Ti Tirit, Maori history or Te Reo, although people had started to revive the latter. I have been luckier than a lot of people though as I worked in a place where there were courses in Maori culture, visits to Marae (even an overnight stay which I really enjoyed), and the use Te Reo and English in the workplace. Some more reporting local history encountered on your travels would be most welcome Nick. The more we learn about our country and each other the better.
Green, yellow and brown categories for me - I was always torn by the choice - I'd love to see you delve more into the history of our country, as a child of the 50s the history taught in high school was woefully deficient in NZ content, why we had to learn about the War of the Roses rather than the Waikato Wars still mystifies me.
Hi Nick
It’s a green piece of pie for me. I’m interested in the environment. Our ancestors made lots of unfortunate mistakes in bringing their animals here. Stoats to get rid of rabbits for example. Possums and ferrets too. Ouch! The last government gave predator free 2050 a good nudge with jobs for nature enabling better practice for trapping and replanting of areas unfit for development. This government is seriously going backwards on our environmental gains. They talk about a green economy, then bring back talk if mining, even on conservation land. Words fail me. It’s just a dumb move to attack nature on one hand and expect tourists to flock to see our beautiful scenery on the other. Where has intelligent thinking gone??
Thanks, Sally. This attitude of trashing the place while also wanting people to come and see it is hard to fathom.
Green for me as well Sally. My genius Aussie, recent environmental pest control boffins made what is probably the worst possible choice for eradicating beetles which threaten sugar cane crops, by letting loose what are now known as cane toads. The boffins forgot to check if these toads could jump high enough to eat the beetles. Nope. There’s now hundreds of million of them eating their way across the country decimating or, in some cases causing the extinction of, native species as they go.
I was also a bit famous for catching snakes, lizards and whatever else I could, and releasing them in the garden. That went down very well in the middle of Sydney! I did however, manage to change some peoples’ minds about the value and beauty of the creatures they had beforehand dealt with scorn, and the occasional shovel.
Blue and yellow equal next. I spent a lot of my childhood and growing up years absorbing encyclopedias, atlases and National Geographic magazines. It’s a remarkable world we live in and there’s so much to learn.
The histories of both our countries isn’t always pleasant to discover or accept, but it’s part of who and what we are. Attitudes can be altered over time, with care, respect and acknowledgment of past mistakes, but the history remains. The word “history” itself implies that which has happened. It’s up to us modern history makers to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
PS. I forgot to mention that “Cane Toad Golf” is very popular in Queensland. I’ll let you figure out how it’s played………
Well it has to be history for me - and music / arts. All inevitably tied up with politics. I honestly don't think you can separate them. What is happening now is history in the making with the huge shift going on in the US, and the inevitable consequences of a government like CoC. The growing unease about where our country (and the planet) is heading will give life to more music and art which is an expression of that. You would be hard put to find any composer or artist who would argue. Or at least none I know. BTW Chelsea is also the daughter of Jonathan Crayford, amazing pianoist/ muso and friend. He plays Bach, but also composes, and is an internationally regarded jazz player. I am in awe of him.
History would be my choice. Probably not surprising, as I work as an archaeologist. Just a quick comment on Kerikeri and the Stone Store / Kemp House. Both these structures are in this location because of Kororipo Pa, visible across the river from the Store (https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/7598/Kororipo). Another story of entanglement and relationships between early European and iwi. If we understand the full story how we ended up here today, we won't fall prey to the simplistic rhetoric of the neoliberals.
It seems like quite a statement to build a stone building so close to the Pa, just up the hill.
It's the swampy area that floods every year, the missionaries were given, overlooked and controlled by the Paa. The paa owner decides who gets to trade at the Store and who isn't, as the access to the place is through the whirlpool on the river by boat. You have to sail all around the Paa before you get to the Store.
Like you Nick I am also a fan of history and the many tales that can be told and read about from past eras. Maybe from my perspective also there is quite a bit of my life that is now history. Also as an aside there is series of books available called TrueTales Of ... which have been written about various places in Aotearoa by those who have lived there and describe their lives in those places. The various "authors" have their writing edited into a book which can be of interest to those who relate to that place. e.g. True Tales Of Whangarei one of many.
Thanks for the recommendation, Mac. 🙂 Some interesting history around Warkworth, I imagine.
Kia ora Nick,
In December I decided I could and would attend Waitangi Day at Waitangi for the first time. Throughout my life I gave been involved in education, mainly in the Wellington region. 6th Feb has not been an easy time to head north.
This year I realised I could take a week, visit friends who'd. moved to the north and attend Waitangi.
I flew to Auckland picked up a rental and headed up the West to the Hokianga Harbour. I stayed with friends at Kohukohu and then drove to Russell. Where I'd never been before. On Waitangi morning I boarded a ferry to Waitangi and at 4am and was present for the dawn service and the morning.
During the afternoon I returned to Russell.
I loved the trip up and it helped to explore and understand more of Northland early 19th century history. It was great to see what remains of the Kauri forest.
The history of Kororareka was also good to explore in person and give context to te Tiriti.
The ease of approach to Waitangi by ferry was good though rising at 3am and after the ferry making my way amidst crowds in the dark to the upper grounds was a bit daunting.
I sat on the ground between the house and the flag pole and watched a big screen of the service. Interesting to be amongst those gathered and experience that in person and watch the dawn break I met two women who come every year from Dargaville and it was great to talk to them. I then made my way down and happened on a Marque where there was a panel discussing how this year's service had included some more traditional Māori elements as well as Christian. I found that interesting to hear. Following that there was a panel of some of the people who coordinated and the young ones lead the hkoi carrying the banner.
I wandered a few stalls but by then i started to feel the 3am start. Luckily ferries were returning to Russell via Paihia and so I got on board.
Some of the waka were in the bay after their haka.
So my experience was a complement to yours Nick a different part of the day and different physical approach. In the afternoon I went to the museum and up the hill to the flagpole.
I am pleased I went. I learnt more about context. It was was great to see how many young people were present and participating.
It helped that I had read a range of perspective and attended many workshops over the years. I think Claudia Orange's smaller book is a good introduction for those who think reading history is dry as some context is needed.
Home again now in Welly.
Ngă mihi
Fabulous to hear of your experience. Can I clarify that you got a ferry from Russell to Watangi - I assume below the treaty grounds rather than the main pier back in Paihia? That seems like a great way to get there without cars and parking.
Thanks for sharing.
Ngā mihi.
Yes a 4am Ferry direct from Russell to Waitangi Pier and returning ferries from Waitangi pier via Paihia. Yes avoids the need for parking etc. I only really knew this when the final programme came out.
Thanks, Heather. Perhaps this is something to consider for next time 🙂
🙋Nature/environment - good news/bad news; history - related to current events or items in "the news" prime example Waitangi Day AND witch burning/vilification of high profile females; science/health/astronomy - new advances & discoveries. All of these are basically "stories behind the stories" wherein you might see a headline but it is interesting to know WHY & if we ourselves should/could do our bit by having more knowledge.
And absolutely keep the politicians under the microscope & expose their bad stuff & elevate the good stuff (need to do more of the latter across the motu if we want to convince people to vote for a better coaltion next time 🤷)
I am also descended from one of the Waimate North missionaries and finding out about them, 200 years on, has been fascinating. I too recommend Richard Shaw's book The Unsettled. There is a newish genre in Aotearoa of finding out and coming to terms with your own colonial/colonist history, of which Richard Shaw's book is a leading example. Start by asking older family members if they know where family property and artifacts came from and why ancestors came here in the first place.
My current interest, in the light of the report of the Royal Commission on Abuse, is finding out whether any family members were institutionalised or staff of such places. Many of the big institutions were working farms housing hundreds of people. A significant percentage of NZers were institutionalised during the last century for all sorts of reasons, including post natal depression (and some never got out)..
In my own whānau a great aunt was 'in Porirua' but no one knew why - possibly after a still birth. She was never released and I never met her. Her husband visited her every Sunday. Another relative was in another institution and was revealed to the family as a shy elderly woman when it closed. Again, no one knew why - it was thought that she had some kind of break down as a teenager. Her brother never married supposedly out of the eugenic fear of inherited mental illness.
I agree that if we don’t know our history we will make mistakes now that affect our future, however if we don’t have healthy ecosystems that provide us with the services we need for survival we are in trouble. And we don’t know enough about them.
There is no denying the popularity, and sense, of the whakatauki “He aha te mea nui o te ao, he tangata he tangata he tangata”.
But, imo, we don’t pay enough attention to “Toitu te marae a Tane, Toitu te marae a Tangaroa, Toitu te iwi" (If the realms of Tane and Tangaroa are sustained, then so too will iwi).
So my colour is green.
History; I have degrees in history and in sociology, and I teach the history of Aotearoa New Zealand, human rights, and conflict resolution. Second choice is art & literature, as I love both, and my family is heavily involved in the arts and music. I have to include politics as well, which is interwoven with the study of history. I've always been interested in history - maybe this is because of my own background, with ancestors from many different places, and having lived all over the world - I went to 14 schools when I was a child. My ancestors come from Ireland, Scotland, Romany (gypsy), England, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Bengal. I was born in Malta, and I grew up in Malta, Aotearoa New Zealand, England, Australia and the USA. As an adult I've lived in different countries and travelled the world, but Aotearoa is home and I identify as Tangata Tiriti.
Sounds like some fantastic tales to tell. Am I right in thinking that you live in that little seaside village across the harbour where my folks also live? I was wondering if I could buy you a coffee sometime and have a chat?
Yes, and would love to meet!
If you're looking for a way out song, by 60's rock gods Cream, try this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89z56OFLaqU
This features the bass player, Jack Bruce, who before his rock career was a classically trained cello player.
One of my favourite bass players; such creative lines, and I loved his vocals, too.
I remember, when I was about 16, seeing Cream's first album - Fresh Cream- in a window display in a Dunedin record shop. We didn't have a record player, so it was some years before I got to hear it.
History, especially history of NZ epidemics and pandemics, and New Zealand Disasters.
My personal experiences as a victim of the Poliomyelitis epidemic in 1946/7 which closed NZ schools. The book by June Opie "Over My Dead Body" telling of her life in an iron lung after contracting Polio' in London on a trip, which I read aged sixteen, as I had experienced days in an iron lung. Then as a sixty seven year old visiting Nobby, a small town in NSW Australia, to find a Museum honouring Sister Elizabeth Kenny, who pioneered the "Physio" treatment of Polio' to "retrieve" damaged muscles. It was amazing to see pictures of my exact treatments chosen over the usual leg brace/caliper. Treatments I took part in at Waikato Crippled Children's hospital over nine months, later with home exercise programmes 'till I was fully grown at age sixteen. The refusal of the medical fraternity to accept new thinking, especially that of a Nurse was evident to a six year old!! We were fortunate in having one of her devotees work with me and my family.
On a more general level, New Zealand Disasters. The story of Ballantyne's Fire and how that changed Fire Safety at work Places and Fire responses. The eruption of Mount Tarawera, leading to the loss of the Pink and White Terraces and the prediction of disaster by the visiting German-Austrian geologist Ferdinand Von Hochstetter, and the experiences of the eruption survivors. The Wahine Ferry Disaster, pertinent in the current Ferries debacle caused by Willis and CoC. Travelling round New Zealand, especially the south Island where large cemeteries had stories of loss on the Headstones. Children to illness and accidents, young men and women in their twenties to river crossings which were a common cause of death. and the very occasional long life . Going to Waitangi and Russell when doing 3 house sits at Okiato and using the Opua ferry, and reading up on the local history. Education changes in NZ and the results. according to different groups.
To summarise, events in New Zealand.
Topics - history, science, arts, geography. 🤗
Great variety of topics covered in today's korero!
Interesting comments too, thank you.
I don't play Trivial Pursuit or go to Pub Quiz nights because my knowledge of the various subjects isn't good enough and I don't want to show my ignorance!
IF I had a better memory, History and Politics would be my subjects of choice.
Slightly off-topic for today, but relevant to what has currently been happening on our motu: I have discovered a series of podcasts entitled Treaty Talks hosted by Kara Rickard.
So far I've watched episode 4 featuring the wonderful Whaea Dame Ella Henry, and episode 6 featuring a very impressive and articulate young tane Te Weh Wright.
This morning I watched the oral submission opposing the Treaty Principles Bill by former New Plymouth mayor and self-confessed reformed racist Andrew Judd. Excellent presentation.
I admire Judd; it's a brave thing to stand up and say you were wrong.
The Art and Literature, Science and Nature categories are my equal preferences. History is a close second. My nightmare category is Sport and Leisure. When you get to the part in the game where you pick a category for your opponent, Jeremy will challenge me with sport and leisure, if I am choosing I always give him questions from entertainment, his weakest area of knowledge (and he doesn’t have many).
Interesting kōrero today. I love hearing about the history of people and places. It’s not easy finding out about NZ history, often books on the subject can be dry as dust and rather boring which is unfortunate, and quite an achievement, to write something an avid reader and lover of history can fall asleep over.
I came here from England with my family, £10 poms as they called us. It was a very long time ago now, but I can remember that there was scant information about NZ history around, and certainly not in school. There was no mention of Ti Tirit, Maori history or Te Reo, although people had started to revive the latter. I have been luckier than a lot of people though as I worked in a place where there were courses in Maori culture, visits to Marae (even an overnight stay which I really enjoyed), and the use Te Reo and English in the workplace. Some more reporting local history encountered on your travels would be most welcome Nick. The more we learn about our country and each other the better.
Green, yellow and brown categories for me - I was always torn by the choice - I'd love to see you delve more into the history of our country, as a child of the 50s the history taught in high school was woefully deficient in NZ content, why we had to learn about the War of the Roses rather than the Waikato Wars still mystifies me.
For those who want to know more about te Tiriti o Waitangi and prefer viewing try NZ on screen. Lots there.
https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/waitangi-what-really-happened-2011/related