Rooms 9, 10 and 11 visit the Arai Te Uru marae.  

We are warriors. Our weapons bashing the ground, we are encouraging them, encouraging them to fight to the death. Well at least that's what it felt like. Rooms 9,10 and 11 are standing in the Marae, ready for battle.

It is my turn. My heart was beating as I stepped into the ring. I faced my opponent and gripped my rakau with both hands. TORU….RUA….TAHI!. Our tutor let the words fall from his mouth, into the silent room. HI HI HA!, we all chanted and the room was no longer silent. The tension was building as I charged, and struck my opponent on the head, she blocked. This time, she stepped forward, but I blocked and charged again. Our tutor teaching us how to fight with the rakau. 

Once again I struck, and she didn’t block. She is gone. I won. I was ready to fight the battles ahead of me.

We waited as more and more people joined the champions side, until, only the strongest were left standing. I chose my next opponent, and chanted loudly once again. Waiting to fight. I emerged from the crowd. Nervous, but ready. I slammed my rakau on the carpet and blocked a blow from my opponent. It went on for what seemed like ages, until… I was hit. I had lost and was kicked out of the competition. I walked away, disappointed, but proud of what I had achieved.

So once more I stood among the crowd. No longer a fighter for chocolate, but a bystander, cheering on her fellow classmates.

By Cairo (Room 11)

Thumping my stick against the hard floor, getting ready to charge. At once I strike my opponent. I'm the undefeated champion...I think...

Picking my favoured rakau back up, I enter the “arena.” Chanting starts to engage my excitement. Charge, block, STRIKE! Noise ricocheted off my ears. The chant goes straight through me. Suspense is building up in me. My next opponent is making their way up to the arena…”He, he, he, ha”

Tension invaded my body. I knew the end was approaching, a herd of people rushed past me. I lost. It was over.

I'm sitting there with disappointment as I pack my bags. “I’m defeated,” was what I kept repeating in my head. I left the Marae with disappointment, but I was proud of what I had accomplished.

By Maggie (Room 9)

We embarked into the Spiritual tunnels to enter to the Marae, and when the elders called us, we were startled and intimidated. I could have fainted if we had to go for another minute. But around then, we were warmly welcomed by a waiata. Then after that, we sang ‘Tutira Mai’, which was beautifully sung by rooms 9, 10, and 11.

We had learned about Matariki before we went. We learned about the Nine sisters: Matariki, Waipuna-ā-rangi, Waitī, Waitā, Uru-ā-rangi, Tupu-ā-rangi, Tupu-ā-Nuku, Puhutakawa, and another star.

There were four stations to work at. Rakau, weaving, Matariki worksheets, and storytelling/poi. Our favourite was the rakau. It was epic hearing everyone screaming “HI HI HA!” There were four left in the rakau. Terrifying Zed with his terrifying start to victory, Magic Maggie with her amazing magic to win, Silver Silvan slithering his way to success, and Stunning Stella with her stunning power to defeat her enemies. Silver Silvan VS Magic Maggie is on. Silvan won and everyone crowded around him as he went to the grand finale.

Terrifying Zed vs Stunning Stella now is in the house. Zed wins as everyone did the same as they did to Silver Silvan. Silver Silvan vs Terrifying Zed. Silver Silvan wins it all!!

Wait; a sudden change has been called. TERRIFYING ZED WINS IT ALL!!!!!

Then the leaving ceremony starts as the elders sang a waiata and so did us, which was ‘Tehe Mauri ora’, which was again sang beautifully by rooms 9, 10, and 11.

Recount By Rohan Leckie-Zaharic and Colin Ramsey (Room 10)