Day 6: Aotearoa Activity 2

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Activity 2: After visiting Shag Point, you hop back in the van and drive all the way up the east coast of the south island until you reach the town of Picton. You get out of the van and onto the Interislander ferry. It travels back across the Cook Strait to Wellington. Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and every winter the city hosts a huge Matariki festival to celebrate the Maori New Year. This year part of the festival is being held at Te Papa, a big museum in Wellington.

Instructions:

Read about the Matariki Festival at Te Papa.  There are so many different things to see and do at the festival this year. On your blog, tell us about three of the events. You can choose any three events that you wish.

Day 6: Native Aotearoa Activity 1

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Activity 1: Let’s imagine that you were on the first waka to arrive at Shag Point. You had never been to New Zealand before and you had no idea what to expect. Write a poem describing how you would have felt when you arrived in New Zealand. Would you have been excited or scared? I would have felt pretty nervous, I reckon…

Day 5: One step at a time Bonus Activity

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Bonus Activity: You and your tour group have enjoyed your day in the mountains but you’re ready for a change of scenery. You ask Curious Kiwi to take you to Central Otago, a region of the south island with lots of rolling hills and flat, brown grasslands. While in Central Otago, you decide to join the Otago Central Rail Trail – a 150 km long cycle trail. Curious Kiwi and I (Rachel) cycled the Rail Trail in April and we loved it!

On your blog, tell us whether you would like to cycle the Otago Rail Trail one day. Does it sound like fun? Why or why not?

What I think.....
I think I would like to cycle the Otago trail one day.
Reason why:
I just think that cycling in Otago trail sounds like fun, and also, I would want to explore the beautiful environment. I would want to race some people and just have a fun time outdoors.

Fun Facts:

• The Otago trail is 150,000m
• The construction of the Otago trail began in 1879 and reached Middlemarch in 1891. 16 years later the Otago trail was finished in 1907.
• The trail is used by 10,000-12,000 users per year as a conservative estimate (14,000 in other estimates) and up to 80,000 further (mostly local) users of part sections

Day 5: One step at a time Activity 2

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Activity 2: After the adventure at The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve, you are pretty happy to get back into the shuttle van and continue with your road trip. Over the next few hours, you travel up and over the Southern Alps, arriving in the city of Christchurch to eat lunch. You have a delicious meal at a café downtown and then hop back into the van to travel to Twizel, a small town at the base of Aoraki-Mt Cook. Mt Cook is the largest mountain in New Zealand. It is also the mountain where Sir Edmund Hillary trained for his climb up Mt Everest – the tallest mountain in the world. Sir Edmund Hillary is very famous because he was the first person to ever reach the top of Mt Everest!

Instructions:

Now it is your turn to learn about a famous New Zealander. Use Google to research one famous person from New Zealand and then create a DLO and post it on your blog. Be sure to include: 1. The name of the famous person, 2. Where they were born, 3. Why they are famous, and 4. Two other interesting facts about them.

Day 5: One step at a time Activity 1

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Activity 1: After a few hours in the car, you, your group and Curious Kiwi arrive at your first stop – The Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve. It is a beautiful, regional park located at the base of the Southern Alps. You and your group get out of the van and follow Curious Kiwi. He is going to lead you on a short walk through the park. As you start walking, you notice a really cool looking tree on the side of the trail and you stop to take a closer look. When you turn back, the group (and Curious Kiwi) is nowhere to be found. Eek! You are all alone in the middle of a strange forest.

Instructions:

For this activity write a short story (8-10 sentences) about what might happen next. Please be sure to include lots of details about what you might be feeling, seeing and doing after you realise that you are all alone in the forest...

Where the story left off....

To my surprise, I turned around to realise that the group and curious Kiwi is nowhere to be found. Feelings of anxiety began to fill my head as I walked through the unfamiliar forest. The only thing I could see was thousands of trees and mountains and a river nearby. Luckily it was sunny though so I can see. I soon started to scream out to them but the only reply I got was the eery sound of the wind. Chills soon started crawling up my spine as I heard a horrific scream. I suddenly started to run, on the corner of my eye, I saw a black figure which seemed to be following me. I then sprinted but it seemed like it was trying to catch me. I then bolted across the forest, I just looked at where I was going because I was too afraid to look back to see. I came to a halt, tired and exhausted, I ran behind a tree to take a rest. Now it was quiet. It was so silent that the only thing I could hear was the sounds of a cricket. In a distance, I could hear footsteps. It sounded like a whole army. Suddenly they stopped. I closed my eyes hoping they wouldn't find me. The person who was following me started walking towards my direction. I tucked into a ball closing my eyes thinking this was a dream. Then someone touched my shoulder. I slowly looked up, it was Curious Kiwi and the group. I sighed with relief. Finally I was safe again.

Day 4: Swimming with the Sharks Bonus Activity

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Bonus Activity: Hector’s dolphins are a very special native animal found only in New Zealand. They are the smallest dolphin in the world measuring 1.5 metres long and they are quite rare. Sadly, many Hector’s dolphins are killed every year when they get caught in large fishing nets and can’t escape. Some people have argued that fishermen shouldn’t be allowed to fish in Farewell Spit in order to protect the dolphins living there. What do you think? On your blog, tell us whether you think that fishing in Farewell Spit should be banned (stopped).

My Opinion:

I think that fishing at Farewell Spit should be banned because there aren't that many dolphins in the world left. I think we should just leave them alone because they could become extinct soon and also, what about the things that dolphins prey on?

Day 4: Swimming with the Sharks Activity 2

Winter Learning Journey (100% Pure New Zealand)

Activity 2: After a morning of learning about beached whales in Golden Bay, you and your group are driven to a nearby town, Nelson, to watch a special movie called ‘Whale Rider.’ It is a famous movie about a young girl who was born and raised in New Zealand. Watch the following movie trailers for Whale Rider: Whale Rider trailer #1 and Whale Rider Trailer #2 and then write a summary of the movie on your blog. What is it about? Be sure to also give the movie a rating out of 5 based on the trailer [1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

Summary:

This movie was about a young girl who was born and raised in New Zealand. She comes from a long generation of great chiefs. Only males are allowed to go to chiefdom which is in a Maori tribe This ancient way it upset when the next chief dies at birth (stillborn). His twin sister Pai survives. At the age of 12, she joined with the help of her grandmother and the training with her uncle represent her rights.

My Rating from 1 to 5:

[1 = bad movie, 2 = okay movie, 3 = pretty good, 4 = good movie, 5 = excellent movie].

To be honest I would give this movie a 4 out of 5 because the story itself is really interesting. I would recommend this movie for anyone who is interested in whales, leadership, and Maori culture.