After this they will spend the next hour working with their instructor to learn a traditional Maori song, otherwise known as a waiata. They will go through the English translation, proper pronunciation and importance of this song on a Marae. A great opportunity to learn more about the culture through song. Once this is completed, it’s time to get everyone involved in the preparation of their dinner for the day. They’ll be making, cooking, monitoring and then finally eating a hangi as part of Cultural Day. A hangi is a traditional Maori method of cooking food, using heated rocks in a pit in the ground. The students will chop up their selected vegetables and meat under the supervision of their instructors and Lakewood Lodge’s chef. They’ll then be shown how to wrap up their meal correctly ready for cooking. After this it’s time for a quick morning tea, before jumping back into the activities! The boys and girls will split up and each learn a different cultural performance that they’ll get the chance to perform later on in the day. The girls will be taught a poi performance, whilst the boys will learn the famous All Black haka ‘Ka Mate”. Once the routines are perfected it’s time for harakeke-putiputi, where they’ll learn the art of flax weaving. This will involve being taught how to respectfully collect their materials and how to weave them to create their own flower! After everyone has made their flowers it’s time for lunch, before moving on to the next activity. The students will travel the short drive to the historic Rangiriri Pa, the site of the Rangiriri battle. They’ll explore the site with their instructors, learning about the vast cultural history and significance of the area. At the end of the daytime activities, a spoken poroporoaki will take place and everyone will have a chance to reflect on their day and all the things they’ve learnt. Later in the evening the students will have a chance to eat their Hangi they prepared earlier. Once dinner is finished, the groups will have a chance to showcase the performances they learnt earlier, and this will conclude Cultural Day!