Towards a New Land: Sailing the South Seas to New Beginnings
A family’s travels, relationships, learning, as they navigate a new life
Kia orana. Ia orana. Mauri. Hello.
Who Am I?
Ko Pacific toku moana / The Pacific is my ocean
Ko Moana Roa toku vaka / The Moana Roa is my canoe
Ko Kuki Airani, Tahiti, Kiribati, Britain toku motu / The Cook Islands, Tahiti, Kiribati, Britain are my islands
Ko Maryanne taku ingoa / My name is Maryanne
My eyes look Asia-Pacific
My skin is brown and proud
My size is large and cuddly
My name is Maryanne Reuben Marsters
That says Maryanne is the daughter of Reuben Marsters
He, like fathers in days gone by answered the call to
come to this land of milk and honey
We came
Crossing the Pacific from island to island
Mother said Father was going to New Zealand
He will work and send for us
A better life awaits us
I hugged Father unsure when I would see him again
Two weeks later I threw my arms around him
He was back
Sitting by the door I heard the story
Father, his friend and the skipper
set sail for New Zealand
At first it was good sailing
But it was hurricane season in the Pacific
and it found them
Survival mode kicked in
Father’s job bailing water
Their job keeping the 30-footer afloat
Exhausted and battered they limped back to Rarotonga
Work began on repairing the boat
Once completed Father
uncle and the skipper
prepared for a second attempt
But this time they would sail to Tonga
and from there to New Zealand
A safer route
As I hugged Father I did not realise it would
be a year before I would hug him again
A new land, new life
It was June when we arrived in New Zealand
Winter
It was cold unlike our hot climate back home
We found a house near the beach
Grey and pebbly unlike our white sandy beaches back home
The long-drop stood near the end of the backyard
and like the beach our backyard was grey and pebbly
unsympathetic on bare feet when the long-drop beckoned
At night the path was cold grey and scary
I missed home
We slept on the floor on our woven mats
Huddled together to keep warm
Mats and blankets covered us
The warmth
The familiar smells
coconut oil through our hair
sounds
snoring both soft and loud symphony orchestra’s
movements
elbows and knees ouch
was comforting
Home
I heard there was ‘snow’ and ‘ice’ in New Zealand
They covered the ground
landscapes
I wondered what that would feel like
to touch
walk on
roll around in
The first time I saw frost I wondered if it was snow
I was so excited
I raced outside
stepped onto the ‘snow’
my feet slid out from under me
down
backwards
onto my butt
Ouch…not snow
There is a lot of learning to be had in this land of milk and honey
Starting a new life
a better life?
in New Zealand
another country?
involves new learning
good bad challenging Inspiring
more
Too many for this introduction
But if this little introduction
catches your interest
makes you smile
makes you wonder
has brought you this far
stay tuned
keep Who Am I?
on your radar
There is more to come.
Thank you for reading my little intro to beginnings
You have a fabulous day!
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