Race 13 - Day 1
Crew Diary - Derry-Londonderry to Liverpool
22 July

Some of New Zealand culture making an impact on Hotel Planner.com.

A little bit of NZ history that I think links and connects us. 1000 years ago Maori set off from Hawaiki which we think was somewhere off the coast of South America in their canoes called waka. Seven waka in total.

If you can imagine paddling a across the Pacific Ocean for several thousand miles using the stars for navigation and surviving off their rations also catching fish and birds, in all sorts of weather.

They arrived in aoterora New Zealand to set up a new county albeit very primitive. During this time they developed various symbols to represent opportunity, strength protection and abundance.

They had a hierarchy of warrior chief/skipper warriors and Wahene crew of their waka.

With these people they set up a new country yet to be discovered by Captain Cook.

Go forward 1000 years.......

We left Liverpool in our waka CV 23 11 months ago on a voyage that would take us around the world 40,000 miles and vast oceans. I have a new appreciation of how tough it was for our ancestors.

So I feel now is a good time to acknowledge our chief warrior, our chief wahiene and the rest of our warriors/ crew. I would like to acknowledge in particular my fellow round the world warriors with a piece of New Zealand ponamu.

But first, all of the leggers of CV23 without whom we would never be here today.

They are.......

To the RTW...........What I am about to give to you is your own piece of ponamu. While green stone/ponamu can be brought in many places around the world these pieces carry very specific meanings with them as they are all NZ traditional ponamu.

The Maori custom is that you should never buy a piece of greenstone for yourself rather it can only be received as a gift. The Maori also will never disturb the soil to get the ponamu, they will only use what sits above ground and for this reason it is getting more scarce.

These pieces have been carefully chosen, Gerry spent three hours talking with a Maori Calver discussing what pieces would appropriately fit and then choosing them.

She then approached our local Maori tribe and got these 12 pieces blessed by a Maori elder, thus strengthening the meaning behind each piece.

Firstly our chief Conall - the words tenacity and endurance and an incredible sense of protection for all his crew come to mind.

The Fish Hook

This common Maori design derives from Maori ancestors being seafarers and relying on the ocean to provide. The fish hook signifies abundance and plenty, strength and determination. It is believed to bring peace, prosperity and good health. It is a device for catching good luck and energy and is believed to bring safe journey over water.

The Whale Tail

The whale tail represents a respect and connectedness to the sea, an affinity with the ocean and is said to provide safe passage over water. It stands for speed, strength and sensitivity and is a symbol of protection and good luck and protects the wearer from evil.

Anna

The Adz

The adz represents tools that the Maori used traditionally . They carved their into the chunky blade shape. While the adz was used as an important Maori implement it was also traditionally worn by Maori Elders. The adz stands for strength, power, wisdom and authority.

Dr G

Graham

Nick

Carsten

Greg A

The Koru

The koru is a spiral shape based on the shape of a new unfurling silver fern frond symbolising new life, growth, strength and peace. It is an integral symbol of Maori art, carving and tattoos. The circular shape of the koru helps to convey the idea of perpetual movement while the inner coil suggests a return to the point of origin.

Mary

April

Adrian The Toki (adz) with a koru insert combining the meaning of both.

The Twist

The Maori twist resembles 2 intertwined pikopiko ferns, the entanglement has no beginning or end which refers to an eternal bond between 2 people. This symbol shows how sometimes individuals go their own way in life but they find their way back together their because of their strong bond. Hence the description of the twist as the path of love and life, the strength and beauty of enduring friendships and interwoven lives.

Roseann

Greg Glover

CV23
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