By Tyler Socash
IG: @tylerhikes
"The kauri trees were massive," Petuere walked solemnly in a large circle around a Māori statue, outlining what would have been the circumference of New Zealand's tallest tree. Our canoe entourage had arrived at Tieke Kainga, our fourth campsite along the Whanganui River trip. "They once touched the sky."
Tieke Kainga was unique. A marae, Māori meeting and ceremonial grounds, was adjacent to the campsite. Reyne once told me that you could not enter a marae without first being welcomed in. This blog begins with my first powhiri, a Māori welcoming ceremony, involving speeches, dancing, singing, and a hongi.
Our host for the evening was the Waimarino tribal leader. Petuere, an overtly passionate man in his fifties, stated that tonight's ceremony would be closely followed by a heritage talk. This was an opportunity to learn about the Māori culture firsthand.
As we sat down for the introduction, Petuere asked for a volunteer to speak on behalf of their group during the powhiri. My hand immediately went skyward.
I followed Petuere towards the marae. He led the procession with a powerful haka. Tongue out, eyes wide open. The scene was emotionally charged when Petuere beckoned me to come forward. Holding the ceremonial staff, I introduced the members of the Cute Boys Club and Couples Retreat. I felt very lucky to be standing there, and I was certainly nervous. I'm not sure if I found the right words for our group's collective purpose, but I was honored to be the voice.
Earlier upstream Girl Alex and Jer encouraged us to learn group songs for the powhiri. Jer recommended Bill Withers Lean On Me. Girl Alex adapted an Australian song to appeal to our gracious host... We sang both numbers. Girl Alex, who often sings Disney tunes with the voice of an angel, had us learn the following song:
We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on Earth we come.
We share a dream (Jer and Boy Alex's echo: We share a dream!)
And sing with one voice.
I am, you are, we are whānua. (Māori for "family")
Upon completing the ritual, we were welcomed to tour the property. The marae was even offered to our group as a shelter. Jer, Anna, Alex, Alex, Maria, Bekah, and I decided to sleep there. "...When in Tieke Kainga," you know?!?
Petuere transitioned into the heritage talk, which covered his tribe's origin, identity, and land acquisitions / holdings.
"Uenuku is the tribe, Ruatipua is the great ancestor, and we are the descendants of the 101 non-seller owners," he recited with pride.
It was a rather impressive oratorical performance. He credited his ancestors and referenced his extensive genealogy throughout the talk. Petuere highlighted the Rainbow Tribe's lands, extending from the summit of Ruapehu to the Whanganui River, much of which we had traversed over the previous week.
Then Petuere spoke of Great Britain's impact on the Waimarino tribe. This final portion of the heritage talk really moved me. Petuere stared with great reverence into the air at the base of the Māori statue, looking at an imaginary kauri tree.
"...And with these mighty old growth trees that the British cut down, they built Wellington, and Auckland, and Christchurch, and Dunedin..." he spoke with trepidation. "When my ancestors asked for compensation from the British, who took trees from our lands, and minerals from our rivers, the Waimarino tribe was offered 2 cents for every dollar that they deserved." Tears formed in the corners of my eyes. I just recited The Lorax the day prior at the John Coull Hut. Petuere's retelling sounded eerily similar.
After the presentation, I asked Petuere how he deals with the frustration of injustice. "You have to have forgiveness in your heart," he replied earnestly. "And those trees, they made a promise to my ancestors: 'don't cut us down, and we won't ever cut you down.' And the trees never have." That made me cry.
Walking Te Araroa, I take a lot of pictures. I share the best ones. Perhaps I give a distorted image of what the TA is actually like? It's 15% road walks. Our halfway point, kilometer marker 1503 is a massive clear cut on a logging road. Some people say, "Yeah, but those were planted pines. They aren't native. They were grown to be cut." We forget to think back to a time when these pine groves were all native bush. There are nearly 8 billion people on Earth. We need to log trees, a renewable resource, to thrive. That makes sense from an economical perspective, but we also forget that we don't own the trees. That part is hard to understand. I guess I still don't understand it. After walking 3,500 miles this year, I can only say that it makes me sad to walk through clearcuts and along roads where once beautiful, untrammeled forests existed.
I stared at the ceiling of the marae that night. A classic line from The Lorax crept into my head. "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."
I'm not quite sure what to do about that message. But I am starting to care about whole awful lot about the natural world on this walk. I cared before. I just care more. We all have the chance to be stewards of the land. Even the rubbish bin next to me at this McDonald's where I'm typing my blog says, "Inside, Outside: Be a tidy Kiwi."
* * *
The river trip ended on another emotional note. I thought I'd have to leave the group to stay on schedule with my calendar year plans... My mood became quite somber.
Unexpectedly, I heard my name being shouted from atop a river bank. It was Tobi! Tobi left the group one month ago to go explore the South Island. He came back to do one last big hike in Tongariro before flying home. Tobi drove along the Whanganui River all day, hoping to spot us. It felt like divine intervention to see him again. I was reminded about how fun it was to stay with the group.
The Alex's of Couples Retreat gave me great advice: live in the present. "The trail will always be here, but the people change," Girl Alex said. "The past is history, the future is a mystery, right now is a gift, that's why they call it 'the present.'" Sage advice.
Kate added, "Focus on what you have right now." I know she was telling me to stop being so mopey.
The last day on the river we came across a rope swing. It was gigantic. At one point Dan, Reyne, Sebastien, Jer, Alex, and I swung together. It was a hoot!
Bekah and I also had a fantastic experience capsizing our canoe. We went through the aptly-named "50-50 Rapids" with a cavalier attitude. After the second wave, our canoe filled with water.
"Bekah, we're sinking!" I shouted. She turned around in disbelief as we hit the next series of waves. My efforts to balance the vessel were futile. Buckles snapped and our gear emptied into the Whanganui. The canoe rolled, sending Bekah and I overboard.
I stayed with the canoe, Bekah floated safely downstream clutching our loose barrels. We had our life jackets on, so we felt safe. Bekah erupted with laughter, which made me laugh too. It was quite the scene.
A jet boat happened to be coming around the corner that very moment. Talk about fortuitous timing! The driver helped us gather our goods, and he helped us drag the canoe to shore. It was a highlight of the river trip! I only lost a pair of ripped trousers and three Mountain Dews to the angry river spirits that tipped-a-canoe-and-Tyler-too.
Yet again, I decided to prolong my southbound journey with my friends. We are still hiking together, and I secured a visitor's visa. The stories with the Cute Boys Club and Couples Retreat are too good to pass up!
So all is well in New Zealand! I'll be here awhile longer! I can't wait to share stories of trail magic and hiking in the Tararuas in my next post.
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