At this time people tell stories and sing songs or pray. In the evening those who want to, can sleep on the marae with her.
There is a separate building where meals are prepared and guests can eat. It is traditional to give food or some money to the family to help with the expenses of the funeral.
Our marae is featured on the New Zealand fifty dollar note and these are the weavings and carvings inside it.
My mother was buried in a small family cemetery with her parents and my dad who died a couple of years ago. She was in her 83rd year.
We slept one night at the marae and were able to catch up with all my siblings. I am the eldest of 10 and my parents adopted one of the grandchildren to make us 11. It was the first time we had had a photo taken of the whole 11 together.
We are standing on the front of the marae in birth order from left to right!
After the marae we drove back to Gisborne to catch up with John's family and our friends.
We drove to Wellington to attend my sister's wedding. We had not planned to return for the wedding but she was delighted we could make it. I was asked to take my mother's place and give the bride away. Luckily someone was able to lend me some clothes so I didn't have to wear my backpacker's 'zip-offs'.
