Students on path of early missionaries

Students from Wanganui Collegiate and Nga Tawa Diocesan School were among those joining Bishop of Wellington Justin Duckworth on the Waimarie

Wanganui students are following the steps that early missionaries took almost 200 years ago.

Students from seven of the 11 schools in the Wellington Anglican Diocese, including Wanganui Collegiate and Nga Tawa, are taking part in a pilgrimage through the region led by Bishop of Wellington Justin Duckworth.

The group travelled down the Whanganui River yesterday from Upokongaro to the city on the Waimarie riverboat.

The pilgrimage started at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul on Sunday before heading to Marton and Jerusalem via Taihape. It marks 200 years since Samuel Marsden, the first Anglican missionary to New Zealand, preached the first gospel in Oiki.

"We thought it would be nice to do our local pilgrimage," Mr Duckworth said.

"We're making sure that we're telling people's stories, but at the same time making it fun."

The aim was to learn how local Maori and early missionaries related. Mr Duckworth said Christianity caught on quickly within Maoridom.

"In the end, Christianity was primarily spread from Maori to Maori."

It was no surprise Maori hooked on to Christianity in the early 1800s, he said.

"There was some sort of relief from some of the slavery and some of the warfare. The message of reconciliation was welcomed in what could be quite a brutal life."

But as European settlers began to confiscate land, it made it tough for Maori to buy into Christian concepts. Mr Duckworth said some missionaries continued to stand up for Maori much to the annoyance of Pakeha settlers.

"Often it was the missionaries who advocated for Maori about how they ended up being adversely affected by colonisation.

"We are telling their story, good and bad, because we have to own the story, good and bad."

Nga Tawa student Eden Aschebrosc said the trip had been a great way to meet new people.

"I learned a lot of stuff we didn't learn in school ... it's more personal," she said.