Summer Learning Journey- Week 1 Day 1 Activity 1&2

Kia Ora, my name is Anamaria a year 6 soon to be year 7 student in St. Patrick's School located in Auckland.


Activity 1: The Legend Of New Zealand [4 Points]-

According to Māori mythology, much of Aotearoa New Zealand was formed when Māui, a powerful demigod, fished it out of the sea. Legend has it that Māui created a magical fish hook from the jawbone of his grandmother and that one day he took his hook, boarded a boat, and rode out into the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Once at sea, he threw his magical hook into the water and caught a fish. This ‘fish’ was actually the North Island of New Zealand! In honor of this legend, the North Island of New Zealand is sometimes referred to as Te Ika a Māui or ‘Māui’s fish’ and the South Island of New Zealand is sometimes referred to as Te Waka a Māui or ‘Māui’s canoe’.

To learn more cool facts about New Zealand, check out the Tourism NZ website. Read the fun facts posted on the website and choose your ‘Top 3.’ On your blog, post your ‘Top 3 Fun Facts’ about NZ in your own words.

1. Aotearoa is a Maori name of New Zealand which means the land of the long white cloud.
2. The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland (which is where I live). It was also the Capital city of New Zealand before it was changed to Wellington.
3. Kiwi is a native bird in New Zealand. New Zealanders are also called Kiwis (Not the bird or the fruit).

Activity 2: North and South [4 points]

The country of New Zealand is made up of two main islands – the North Island and the South Island. Approximately 77% of the New Zealand population live in the North Island. Many of these people (including our Summer Learning Journey design team) live in Auckland city. Auckland is a great place to live with lots of amazing parks, beautiful waterways and stunning scenery to enjoy. It is also a busy, vibrant city with many cafes, museums, galleries, and theatres to visit. I feel lucky to call Auckland my ‘hometown.’

Now it is time to think about your hometown. What is special about where you live? On your blog, describe your hometown. Be sure to include lots of describing words (adjectives) in your post.

My hometown is Auckland which is located in the North Island of New Zealand. I'm so happy to live in a beautiful city. There are many places to visit in Auckland or nearby such as the Auckland Museum or the Mission Bay Park. Auckland has a lot of history you can check out a Mural about the history of Auckland in Panmure.