Last Friday my seven year old daughter and I were heading up the Minden in Te Puna for a look-see from the look out up there and as we passed the turn off she heard a sound she hadn't heard before.
No it wasn't my attempt to sing and she asked me to stop.
The sound became clearer and when she climbed up on the bonnet of our car to have a look over the fence to the motel where the sound was coming from there was a huge smile of joy all over her face.
There on the other side were a bunch of bag piping boys practising hard out for a local competition.
We stayed and enjoyed the sweet sounds for a good while and the word that keep coming from her was 'Cool eh Dad?”
It was indeed a cool sight and sound that we could have watched from the bonnet of my car for ages. That's if the noise police or ngati whingers didn't shut them down at 8-30.
Kia ora bag piping boys ‘n girls who gave my daughter a tumeke time - and a snap shot into your culture.

Tommy Kapai, Te Puna.