The Whānau are waiting ��…..and so is Mathilde

It seems like it has been forever since Caroline first told Mathilde �that they were going to New Zealand to see all the whānau.��Mathilde loves going to New Zealand. ��She loves visiting her Great Grand mother, her grandfather,�her great uncle, her auntie and all of her cousins. There are so many cousins. ��Mathilde was so excited when she heard the news. ��But then she had to wait… and wait…. and wait some more.

She had to wait for Autumn to finish with all the leaves �turning red and falling down onto the footpath

Mathilde used to often daydream of going back to New Zealand ��She loved the beach and playing on the sand at Waihi or going fishing at Piha.��She loved going to Mission Bay and cycling along the foreshore. ��But most of all she loved going to her cousin’s house and playing in the pool. �����

But in the meantime Mathilde had to be patient.��It was important to enjoy everything she was doing at school and to be with her friends. ��So she patiently watched the street change from Spring to Summer, to Autumn, and then Winter.��It is nice to daydream about holidays but it is important to remember all the wonderful things about home as well.

For example Mathilde loves to ski and she loves to ice-skate.�

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That is why she loves Canada.��Matilde loves Montreal� and that is why she speaks French.

But Mathilde also loves to fly in planes and visit her family in �New Zealand.��She loves going to New Zealand �schools, and she loves meeting �Kiwi kids. ��She also loves the beach and �the drives in the countryside �with all the rolling hills �and sheep. ��Because most of her whanau �and friends don’t speak French�Mathilde speaks English so they�can understand her. ��Mathilde loves New Zealand and even has a Kiwi accent. ����

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But now the long wait to go to New Zealand is nearly over.��Mathilde knows it has been hard for everyone because of Covid. ��Simon has had to work from home. ��Caroline has had to be extra careful at her work.��Everyone has had to be tested and wear masks. ��And even Mathilde’s school has had to go online. ��But everyone tried their best to do what was needed as they waited to hear the news that they could all travel again.

Now the house is all packed up and there are people looking after it.��All the travel bags are nearly packed and ready to go. ��The airline tickets are organised and the excitement is building. ��In just a week’s time Mathilde, Caroline and Simon will be flying to New Zealand. ��It will be a long journey from Montreal,

to Newark and Los Angeles before they �fly nearly right across the big blue Pacific �Ocean to the land called Aotearoa.��(Aotearoa is what Kiwi’s call New Zealand).

Mathilde knows there is just one more hurdle waiting before she can see her whanau again.��Caroline told her about MIQ. ��It turns out that MIQ is a pretty good idea to keep New Zealand and all of Mathilde’s whānau safe from Covid. ��When a family like Mathilde’s arrive from somewhere like Canada they have to go into managed isolation quarantine. It’s called MIQ.��Managed means someone is in charge. It also means they are isolated just like a lockdown at home and that they are quarantined to stop anyone giving them Covid. ��Mathilde understands all of this. She is ready. Not long to go now.

“Grrrrrrr MIQ !!”.