Only a few of us moved onto 'East As', a tour package off the beaten track, experiencing New Zealand as it should be! We travelled to Te Kaha, stoping at Whukatane, to refuel ourselves, and was greeted with a tradtional Maori welcome. The family who we stayed with sang songs to us, and we had to reply. I wrote a group song to the tune of Swing Low Sweet Chariot, (but changed the words), which went down a storm, especially when they caught onto the actions!, Then I sang Roll otu the Barrell and Jerusalem. We had a wonderful dinner of Snapper, huge crayfish (size of large lobsters),a dn lots more, all caught by Maori Family. I also ate a snapper's eye - check out the pictures - very funny. The eye was the size of a golf ball.

The next day we moved onto a Farmstay in Rangituki. This was in the middle of nowhere. You could horse ride, but as it was a bit drizzley I opted to do a bone carving, which is a masterpiece! That night a local family cooked us a Hangi, and we lit a fire ( in the rain), I whittled stickes for Marshmallows, and we partied!!