Imagine living in a time of no electricity, no running water, no schools - and the only way to get anywhere is by horse and cart.
A Tauranga family did that in a television documentary series that transports three families back to the mid-19th century.
With only basic amenities, the Ririnui family
spent six weeks living on a pa in the Tapapakanga regional park, immersed in Maori culture and living life as it would have been in 1850, in a documentary series called One Land.
For Aramahou Ririnui and his wife Toni Heke, it was a dream come true.
Both are Maori language teachers and are passionate about teaching their own children te reo Maori and "retracing the footsteps of our ancestors", Toni said.
The social experiment saw two families with Maori ancestry (the Ririnui and Dalrymple families) live on a traditional Maori pa and a third Pakeha family live nearby as early European settlers.
On the pa, the Ririnui family spoke only te reo Maori, which caused a communication barrier between the families.
The Ririnui family was faced with other obstacles but struggling to communicate effectively with the other families was one of the hardest challenges, said Toni.
"The whole experience was difficult but very rewarding. It wasn't really about the learning but more about how we dealt with things."
Alongside Toni and her husband was their blended whanau of four children - Tuhawaiki, 9, Ngawaka, 5, Hemorere, 4, and Te Hapirangi, 2. Aramahou's son, Rerehou, 10, and Toni's niece, Te Ao Marama, 13, also joined their adventure.
"For our family, it was quite easy to settle in, but there was a bit of shock towards a few things," said Toni. "The young ones coped really well, especially my eldest niece. She adapted beyond our expectations."
Having a family speak fluent te reo Maori was vital, said One Land executive producer, Bailey Mackey.
"It was very important to be true to the time period to have fluent Maori spoken on the pa and a very important part of getting this cultural and social experiment right.
"This is a huge leap forward for Maori language to be integrated into the series as part of everyday life. One Land will hopefully introduce viewers to a much better understanding of Maori language, its intricacies and its beauty," he said.
Mrs Ririnui said the overall experience was "difficult but rewarding" and she would definitely do it again, but next time without the cameras.
One Land starts tomorrow on TV1 at 7.30pm.
Imagine living in a time of no electricity, no running water, no schools - and the only way to get anywhere is by horse and cart.
A Tauranga family did that in a television documentary series that transports three families back to the mid-19th century.
With only basic amenities, the Ririnui family
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.