Each year, IES Abroad New Zealand hosts an optional mid-semester trip fully included in your program fee except for the flight home, a few meals, and any souvenirs you want to take home. This year IES Abroad hosted their mid-semester trip, named Hikoi Poutini, in Te Tai o Poutini (the West Coast of the South Island). Students in the Auckland program, like myself, flew down to meet up with our Christchurch whānau where we then set off on a road trip down the West Coast.
After driving through Arthur’s Pass, with a pitstop at Kura Tāwhiti (Castle Hill) and Sheffield Pies, we met up with our wonderful guides who accompanied us the rest of the trip: Kahurangi (Kahu) and Zane. Through them we learned as much as we could about māori and settler histories and present in Te Tai o Poutini. Having grown up in Punakaiki on the West Coast, they guided us not just through history but through the bush and beaches as well. They were both extremely welcoming and immediately learned all of our names, creating a sense of family that we wouldnʻt have gotten outside of IES Abroad.
Over the course of the week and in the safe hands of our bus driver, we drove all the way from Ōtautahi (Christchurch) to Punakaiki, through Hokitika and into Franz Joseph, from where we made our longest drive over the mountain and into Queenstown. At each location we learned more about the story of Pounamu, past and ongoing politics in the area, settler motivations for coming to the West Coast, and much more. We got to participate in māori culture by learning a kapa haka of Kahu’s iwi, playing pūkana, and singing IES Abroad’s first waiata (song) of thanks composed by IES Abroad Auckland’s coordinator, Cherie Moore.
During this trip, I felt unbelievably welcomed by our guides and in particular Kahu. As Kanaka Maoli, I’m so grateful to have these opportunities to connect with my Polynesian cousins overseas and gain a fuller understanding of how we are all connected and how our cultures have developed in different parts of the Pacific.
To see all of the amazing adventures from Hikoi Poutini Fall 2026, see the captioned photos below:
More Blogs From This Author
Tropics Meets the Tropics: A Hawaiian’s Experience in Rarotonga
Spending time as a tourist in Rarotonga gave me a new perspective to why so many people love to vacation in the tropics. Rarotonga, Cook Islands is one of the...
Pono Merryman
I study Studio Art and Child Studies and Human Development at Tufts! I am Native Hawaiian born and raised on Big Island, Hawaii who is interested in indigenous knowledge, education, and fiber arts. In my free time I film k-pop dance covers and knit.
