My dears, with much ALOHA, the Hilo Bay Hostel welcomed the Te Tu Mataora, a Maori group from NZ. The group has booked out the entire hostel to accommodate the 56 members of their group. That would be the performers and members of their families.
The minute this old geezer met Nate, the tour leader, I knew that a very special group of folks had arrived. With smiling faces and a politeness ever so grand, members of the group hauled their luggage up the grand staircase of the hostel.
The group is young and old, male and female, with some having 5 generations of family with.
The men are massive. Big chaps with personalities busting with energy and warmth. The lovely ladies are ever so charming and not in the least over shadowed by the LARGE personalities of the males in the group.
To be true, one expected to see many tattooed faces. Mind there were many tattoos to be seen, but it must be part of the performances to have the facial tattoos. One did see many ear holes, and the colourful tattoos seen on legs and arms were impressive.
With much grace, the members of the group waited for rooms to be assigned, beds were sorted out and a general look-about was done. From where this old geezer stood, it appeared that the group was much impressed with their diggs for the coming week.
The Big Kahuna is in OZ and it fell to this old geezer to do the official 'meet and greet'. I rather think I did The Big Kahuna proud. Hit all of the high notes and made sure that any help that could be given was only to be asked for. This old geezer has no doubt that this group will do NZ proud, as did that last from NZ, that being the Auckland Grammar School For Girls. Must be something in the water drunk in NZ, so many lovely folks coming from.
Rumour has it that a certain personage thought that this old geezer was so demonstrative with his hands in doing the 'meet and greet', it was thought that a lively Broadway tune was soon to be sung...
After the old geezer did his presentation to group, a local group leader from the Merrie Monarch did hers. She told of their schedule and all of the fun things planned during their stay in Hilo.
Gobsmacked I was when one of the group did a presentation to the local lady that included the recorded song in the filmed bit. WOW. What lungs these folks from NZ have. Such music. Am told it was a song of welcome. Can hardly wait to see the other things that this group does to rock the house.
Truth be told, this old geezer is rather British, one does not get if silent, and has his eyes on the rather colourful t-shirts that the visiting Maori group wears. Wonder if this old geezer stuck tongue out , slapped bod and did a one legged stomp, it might pry one away from group. Mind, MOI has already been blessed with a polo shirt, rather dashing one in black AND a brilliant calendar. My gain is the Big Kahuna's loss.
The hostel was decked out in flowers, Justin I was very up on information to pass along. I think the Big Kahuna would have been right pleased with the presentation of the hostel to the group. The Hilo Bay Hostel was quite grand looking. Each bed had a chocolate placed upon the pillow, there was a post card and even a orchid. All of the rooms had fresh tropical flowers placed in.
It is going to be pure pleasure to make the Te Tu Mataora group members feel right at home. Will not mind this old geezer a tick if they stick tongues out at or slap themselves in greeting me each day...
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