On Monday 27th April our senior art and whakairo tauira went to visit our Treaty Grounds, Waitangi and the battlefield of Te Ruapekapeka. We were fortunate to have a previous student from Tikipunga High School welcome us with a mihi and kōrero about the Treaty Grounds. We were invited to join a group of visitors into Te Whare Runanga for a Kapa Haka performance.The performers captivated us with their beautiful voices and funny moments. Though Kapa Haka is not a new experience for our tauira it was simply divine being surrounded by our Taonga. Our cultural art pieces were the draw card for the day inspiring our students with visual ideas and designs. These displays of Kowhaiwhai, Tukutuku, Waka and Whakairo will enable our creative talented students to develop their awareness and give them ideas for future art pieces. We completed the day with a visit to Te Ruapekapeka where the last known battle took place. For many of our students it was the first time they had been to this place of significance. Through the shower of rain we walked up the hill to the carved waharoa, then onto the trenches on the battlefield. The students had many wonderings about what it must have been like while we were there. It was a wonderful day shared by all, a special mention goes out to Dannyrei for her leadership presence on this trip. The moments of inspiration will be treasured for a long time to come.
