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 The Victorian is the name of an occasional return train trip between Dunedin and Oamaru. I took that day trip yesterday with my family. It was well worth it.

Along the way, I learned various facts about the region's history. Blueskin Bay is named after a Maori chief whose entire face was tattooed. The site of Johnny Jones's whale station at Karitane was pointed out. Waikouatiti means receding water. Seacliff Sanctuary was the largest building in New Zealand at the time it was built. 

And when I wasn't looking out the window, I read from the second in the autobiographical trilogy by  Mihipeka Edwards - Nga Wa Raruraru (Time of Turmoil).

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Mihi Edwards wrote a trilogy. I own the first two books, and Dunedin Library has the third. I read the first book a few years ago, but I haven’t the other two.

Mihi sprinkles Maori words and phrases throughout her work. It is an autobiography. She was born in 1918, and three weeks later her mother died of the flu during the epidemic at that time. 

An activity I plan to do is make a count of all the Maori used in at least the first book: Mihipeka—Early Years. I’ll use Excel for that. I made a start yesterday.