Holidays

On the first day of the holidays I went to kyanas for 4 days we made a huge fort in her lounge. That was where we slept. While I was there we went uptown And skating and we played mine-craft. Later that week I went to my cousins, Sharnahs to hangout with her and her baby, Navarah. That night we all went to our nanas house and stayed the night so my nana could look after Navarah while we went to the dentist.

The next week I had swimming training on Tuesday and Thursday for a competition I had coming up in the weekend. On the Friday of that week I went with Sharnah, my nana, my sister and Navarah to Paraparaumu pools. It was Navarahs first time! It was so much fun.

The next day, I had to wake up early so me and my mum could go to my competition. When we got there I had to warm up for my heats. My first heat was 50m fly which I came 1st in and  my next one was 50m fr which I came 1st in. The next day I had 50m back which I came 2nd in and then I had 100m fr which I came second in.


I had a great break spending time with my friends and family!

Matariki

I Knew that Matariki was the beginning of the Maori new year. Matariki is a cluster of 9 bright shining stars, named Waiti, Waita, waipuna-rangi, Tupu-a-nuku, Tupu-a-rangi, ururangi, Pahutakawa and Hiwaiterangi.


Matariki rises in the north east. It appears in the sky from june 25th - june 28th. It isn't the same date every year it changes. If you look up in the sky with a telescope you can see hundreds of stars but if you look up with the naked eye you can only see a bright shining cluster of about 7-9 stars.


Matariki is a special time to remember those who have passed on.In the olden days, when our tupuna looked up in the sky and saw that Matariki wasn't there they started harvesting and preserving food and crops for the winter and their whanau.

I think Matariki is very special cause it reminds me of my ancestors. Everybodys gets together and sing songs.