Students from Years 1 to 8 were taught the journey of Te Arawa waka and its captain Tama-te-kapua.
"We've started here in Maketū as this is the ihu (bow) of the Te Arawa waka," Rask said.
"We live in Rotorua which is the takere (hull) of the waka and hopefully next year we'll be going to Tongariro which is the kei o te waka (stern)."
The experience of paddling a double-hulled canoe was a fundamental part of the teachings.
"We learned about how we paddled, so inside out, inside out," student Nixon Hubbard said.
"We learned about Ehinga and his journeys, and about the marae."
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