Trip To Wellington

On Saturday my Family and I went to Wellington for a holiday. We went to Te Papa and The Parliament Buildings.

On Saturday night we went and watched the Super Rugby finals which was Hurricanes vs Higlanders. It was great fun to watch but in the end the Highlanders won disappointed a home crowd that wanted there home crowd to win. The end score was 21-14 and the Highlanders went home victorious and with the trophy.

The second adventure we had was going to the Te Papa Museum. I loved the war exhibit it was very real. There were six huge wax carvings and if you got up close you could see every find detail such as the dirt under there nails, the whiskers on there chin and even the beads of sweat that was on there foreheads. Every detail was perfect and I Loved it. Apart from the wax carving there was also some information and some artifacts of some peoples old rifles and a old bugle with some more information across the walls with all there adventures. I also saw some other exhibits and managed to see the giant squid. It was huge!!! It was a lot of fun and I can't wait to go there again.

The last thing we did in Wellington was go to the front of the Parliament. Unfortunately we weren't in one of the tours so we couldn't see a full tour of the wonderful building but we did get to awe at the view and get a picture of me and my sister on the steps of the old Parliament Building.

Overall it was a great time but if was even greater to be back home again. 

     

Matariki Day

On the last day of the term 2 at Auroa School we had a Matariki Day. Matariki is the Maori name for the group of stars also known as the Pleiades star cluster or The Seven Sisters;  and what is referred to as the traditional Maori New Year.

The Maori new year is marked by the rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon. The pre-dawn rise of Matariki can be seen in the last few days of May every year and the new year is marked at the sighting of the next new moon which occurs during June.

Matariki has two meanings, both referring to a tiny constellation of stars; Mata Riki (Tiny Eyes) and Mata Ariki (Eyes of God).

Why Matariki is important is that traditionally, depending on the visibility of Matariki, the coming season's crop was thought to be determined. The brighter the stars indicated the warmer the season would be and that would mean a more productive crop. It was also seen as an important time for family to gather and reflect on the past and the future. 

Today Matariki means celebrating the unique place in which we live and giving respect to the land we live on.

There are many ways to celebrate Matariki so the 4 whanau groups split up to did different activities that is a way to celebrate Matariki. I am in the Haua Piko whanau and we did Maori Bone Carving and did different designs that represented different things. The day was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again.

My War Story

Some of you may have heard of the Elsie Locke Writing Competition. This year I got a chance to enter it. The topic was to make a war story that you can think of that will show emotions that would happen outside the war or what it would feel like if your loved ones were at war. Here is the story that I am going to enter:

My dear Derek,

Ever since I saw you leave on that train, I waved to you until the train’s smoke was only a puff of grey air, distant from my reach. It is truly horrid to think of you stuck in the world of death and oblivion. When the sun rises in the west, and sets in the east, I just sit there and cry, hugging the photo of you next to me. It has started to dawn on me that you might not come back alive and I have been forever howling since. My apologies if my ink is blurred, I just can’t help making my tears drop onto the paper. The world has seemed to have lost all its colour without you now. The silky green grass on the ground and the fluffy white mass of clouds up above have just turned grey and beige. My figure has become slimmer as I haven’t had time to feed my restless stomach. Whenever I begin to feel happy, I quickly remind myself that I shouldn’t forget you for a single second and become down again. 

Everyone is beginning to worry about my health and have tried to summon a doctor home for me but I simply refuse. My tired, red, sore eyes have been shooting prickled pain down my cheeks but I just cannot give in as I am supervised by someone for hours on end. It is utterly atrocious that people are already starting to forget about you like you didn’t even exist. But just remember I will never, ever forget you.

Your Beloved Martha

Finishing my letter with a flick of my hand I slipped it into an envelope sitting on my desk. My tear stained face slowly began to turn ghostly white. I was in tears again as the sound of a gun firing rang through my ears and a sharp pang of sadness stabbed into my heart. “It would be a waste of time if I wrote down all my feelings to my husband and didn’t even post it,” I muttered to myself shakily. Sluggishly jumping into my warm boots I rushed into the cold air of reality. My husband is at war.

The frosty air ran through my brown lifeless hair as I stumbled down to the edge of the road where everyone was hurrying through the doors of the grocery store preparing for the worst. A few strangers passed by said a quick howdy and rushing off in the other direction. The world has changed ever since Germans declared war. As soon as Derek found out that there was a global war about to begin he rushed to the enrolment centre without negotiation. Before I knew it, my husband was gone.

Wandering a few more metres down the road, the big 2 story post office cast a shadow over my small stature as I shivered in the cool breeze. Entering the door, my legs shuffled to the front of the big counter and silently asked for my number. Slivering the key into the lock I slowly inserted my letter into the compartment. My eyes met a large package that was concealed inside a orange envelope.

Ripping open the envelope A photo of Derek in his uniform and a big letter was stuffed inside. Pulling out the letter I slowly read the bold print that was embroidered on the front. KILLED IN ACTION. No...   PS: this isn't a real letter. the photo is just off the internet!!

Book of the week

This weeks book of the week goes to Opal Plumstead, Written By Jacqueline Wilson and Illustrated by Nick Sharatt. It is a truly moving book with good and bad things happening every chapter. Poor Opal Plumstead has had a rough couple of years but every cloud has a silver lining when Morgan comes along. But something will happen to Morgan that will change her path in life.

Here is the blurb about the book if you would like to read it yourself:

Blurb:

Opal is a bright intelligent fourteen year old girl living in Edwardian Britain. But when her father is sent to prison for embezzlement she is forced to leave her scholarship and start work at Fairy Glen sweet factory. It is here that she is tormented, bullied and alienated from her former society. However, it is also here that she befriends Mrs Roberts and falls in love with her son, Morgan who she believes is her soulmate.Opal is a bright intelligent fourteen year old girl living in Edwardian Britain. But when her father is sent to prison for embezzlement she is forced to leave her scholarship and start work at Fairy Glen sweet factory. It is here that she is tormented, bullied and alienated from her former society. However, it is also here that she befriends Mrs Roberts and falls in love with her son, Morgan who she believes is her soulmate.

Reviews:

'This was Jacqueline Wilson's 100th book. It was also undoubtably one of her best, it's cleverly written with lots of description and links to real issues that happened in 1913-1914.'

ANZAC Day

Today on the 25th of April 2015 we celebrate 100 years since the ANZACS first arrived on Gallipolis shores. Lest we forget. It is a very special day to everyone that had participated in the war and family members who have had there family go to war. We will remember them.

RIP Cinnamon

Sadly, A few days ago I  got back from  trip to my Nanas house. When we got home we found a empty bunny cage with nothing in it:

Traveling home in the car, exiting Hawera I sat in the back seat and thought "Isn't it good to be be home?". As we ran over the cattle stop with our huge tyres my heart skipped a beat. I was going to see cinnamon again.

Jumping out of the car in excitment I rushed through the front door and straight out into the back veranda. There was the bunny cage, I was going to see my friend again... There was no friend in the cage. "Where is the bunny?" I asked mum worriedly. "Madaline there is something I have to tell you." This gave me no security. Mum finally gave me an answer "Cinnamon has died."

My body broke down and my heart shriveled up in pain. "You can't be serious?'' I told mum willing myself to believe he was hiding behind mum ready to pop out and run to me. Nothing came. "I'm sorry Madaline, He's gone". I walked back inside, my brain just cycling what had just happened.

RIP cinnamon, I will never forget you.

Our trip to palmerston north

Last Saturday My mum and dad needed to go to a wedding in Palmerston north so we tagged along. We were with our cousin. In the afternoon we went into the square and went to the festival of cultures. We got a henna on our hand and it looked very cool. Afterwards we took her 2 dogs hazel and Ziggy for a walk by the river. They loved it but when they hopped back in the car they were still very wet! At night when it was dark, we traveled back to the square to see the clock tower lights. After seven they turn on some lights inside the clock tower and it changes colour every minute. It was a true masterpiece and I enjoyed it very much. We also went to a shop and I got my own henna cream so I can make my own! I made a kizoa of the pictures of our adventures in Palmerston north.

It is time!!

My nerves were uncontrollable. My stomach doubled over as I walked along the path of pressure . Drips of sweat traveled down my face onto the cold concrete . With the weight of victory on my shoulders I could hardly walk. My chest moved in and out slowly as I took in breath after breath of chlorine air. The world froze around me. It. Was. Time.

The last cheer was heard. My legs lunged of from the raised platform, bounding me into the air. My whole figure was arched straight towards the rippling surface of the water. Diving into the waves my whole body was pushed into hyper drive. My legs were kicking furiously making splashes of water fly up into the air . My arms were windmills pushing the water behind me. Everyone was now catching and my chances of winning was now slim.

I wasn't going to give up but my energy tank was slowly losing fuel. My body began to break down. Before I knew it there was someone motoring past me. There was no more power left in me but I wasn't going to let that girl claim the victory. The end of the pool was now visible. The last ounce of energy slipped out of me and now I was trailing behind the leader. With only a few meters left to swim I thought worriedly "Am I going to make it?"

Taking my last stroke my arm thrashed against the hard wall. Lifting my head up out of the water, I waited there a age, waiting for my results. The guy with the results came over. My heart started will I get into the finals? I was handed a blue stick! "YAY!" I whooped happily.

My nerves were controllable because I was so close to victory. Now its finals time. Am going to win?

3000 views!!!

WOW! I have reached 300 views on my blog. I never knew it would be possible. Thank you to everyone who has came and visited my site to make this amazing achievement possible. Keep visiting my blog!

My article

For writing today I had to do a article on athletics day. I used the app strip design to get the effect. 

Swimming fun

Today we had a lady come from swim safe NZ to teach us some safety rules in the water. I took some photos of the action and made it into a kizoa. Hope you enjoy!!

Busy week

This week has been a very busy week. Our school has had some big events such as the Athletics day, swimming sports, school triathlon. We can never get a rest. I Athletics day I was a 11year old A runner and in my races I did very well. On swimming sports I did 4 events and I got 2nd in freestyle,2nd in backstroke and also entered in the Whanau relay for Haua Piko. In the school triathlon is was another test but I managed to get 6th.