whakatipu

Whakatipu meaning to grow. Whaka is a common prefix in Maori which means to make. In this case making growing, as in whakatipu ana te hua rakau or, the fruit tree grows!

Svend's garden in Kilbirnie has been doing lots of growing and is looking absolutely lovely. Today I planted a couple of feijoa trees and a small hebe. The lettuces and peas are really coming along! Some ornamental edging has gone in and all that is left is some finishing touches. Good timing, as we are moving to Dunedin in a matter of weeks. I will miss being in the garden! It is great to be working outside and enjoying the sun. Today it was so hot I had to take the extreme measure of swimming in the ocean after work - an adventure that surprised Ellen and her family as the water here is somewhat cold. However, it felt great to be back in the sea after too long as a land-lubber!

Tomorrow is Waitangi day, commemorating the signing of the famous treaty. The treaty of Waitangi was written in 1840 on behalf of the British Crown, and was signed by some of the chiefs of the tribes of the New Zealand Maori, in order to bring a settlement between them and the Europeans, and found a nation state and government in New Zealand. It is seen as the birth certificate of the New Zealand nation, and duly celebrated. However disagreements over the meaning of the treaty continue to this day, and there is no small amount of ill-feeling on both sides regarding the rights of Maori over their own sovereignty, and the rights of the New Zealand Government to legislate for all. Waitangi day is also Bob Marley's birthday, and many Wellingtonians choose to celebrate this instead.