It was something of a revelation for me to hear from these brave souls who had clearly stepped out of their comfort zone to go further into what one called te ao Maori - the Maori world.
It was clear that these people, mostly older than your average student, are not just in it for themselves.
They have their sights on the big picture.
They want to change the culture, the practice - in Maori wonderfully called the kaupapa - of how Maori is used in everyday life.
I heard a determination to overcome any resistance - internal and external, and just speak it.
Normalising was a word that was used.
So what's stopping this happening?
Well, it wasn't so long ago that children were beaten for speaking Maori at school, as they were forcibly "civilised" into English.
Within Maoritanga, too, there are barriers.
In the formality of the marae, where oratory is revered, it takes a brave and confident speaker to stand up and address everybody in te reo.
These speakers want to press past that fear, and to take te reo beyond the marae and into the cafe.
I wish them all the best.
