August 15

- Schools

- Whale Rider

Whale Rider Tour

We went to Whangara (pronounced "fangara" because "wh" in Maori is pronounced as an "f"). This is the very small village north of Gisborne on the coast where the movie Whale Rider was filmed. Most of the villagers were in the movie. We met 'Uncle Huni' from the village who was the cultural advisor for the movie, to ensure that the movie was as accurate and authentic as possible.

Here's the whale rock as seen from the village:

Here's the Maori Meeting House in Whangara:

Here's another photo of the whale rock, taken from the top of the hill overlooking the village:

Here's the house where the main characters in the movie lived:

And here's dear Uncle Huni with Zelda:

Here's his niece Anne, who was our tour guide to and from Whangara:

Six more Whangara photos, courtesy of Zelda:

On the way back to Gisborne, we all admired the incredible view of the ocean, the beach, and the rainbows in the distance. Here are Cathy and Kelsey sitting on the bench that was used in one of the movie scenes.

Kelsey, Courtney, and Dana pose with a lovely view of the beach and mountains in the distance.

Kelsey says she loves New Zealand and this beach!