Original subtitles

- Wait, are you trying to tell me you're a ghost? - We prefer the kupu 'kehua'.

- Well, prove it, then.

- Told you.

Kehua. Boo!

- E te tau.

- Kei te aha ke koe i konei?

- Well, I figured you'd come up here.

- Chur e pa.

- Wait. Where's your sister?

- We're whanau, and I'm here to help you.

- Help me? Help me with what? - I don't know.

Just been sent here to help you.

- Wait. Who sent you? God?

- Heh! Nah, someone higher than that.

Your nan.

- Kia ora, beautiful people. Happy Aotearoa Monday.

Welcome to another day in the life of Amiria.

Mmm. Look how delicious.

As usual, I woke up blessed and grateful.

Yesterday was hectic.

I woke up this morning and my eyes were puffy, my skin was dry,

so I took my time trying to get my skin care routine back into check.

As you can see I have done my everyday make-up, just to feel better about myself.

It's my first day of school today ― or kura, here in Aotearoa.

As you can see, the uniform is a bit bland, but we can work with it.

Now, I have to navigate my life in a whole new way,

cause newsflash ― I'm getting stalked by a kehua.

Everybody, meet John Boy.

- Ea, I told you before, I dont show up on those things.

- I sound so crazy...

- KIRI: Amiria! Kia teretere! - I'm coming!

- MATIU: Kotiro, don't talk to your Mum like that.

- Get off my back.

And you, just stay here and try not to ruin my first day of school, OK?

- Kura. You're going to kura, girl.

- Oh, whatever.

- Far out.

- MATIU: Woo-hoo! You're going to Mum's kura!

(RELAXED MUSIC)

Captions by James Brown.

Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air.

www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2025

- Oh!

Kia ora e te whanau.

You must be the Wharekoa whanau. Tena koutou. Kei te pehea koutou?

Kei te pai? Kei te pai?

Kei te pai!

Ko te ra tuatahi tenei, nau mai, haere mai.

Welcome to your new kura!

It is pumping!

Ko Matua Kare ahau. I'm one of the kaiako here.

Crack-up, eh?

I'm also like the principal when the principal isn't here, cos, you know. Hoha!

Nah, nah, nah. She's at a tangi.

She's at a tangi. It's a big-as one too, eh?

- Big!

- Engari, anyways, we are part of the welcome komiti for the whakatau that's about to happ

Do you wanna do the whaikorero e hoa?

- Ae.

- Oh, ka pai, you! That's the one!

It doesn't have to be in te reo Maori, but chur ― if you can, go hard!

But if you can't, that's also kei te pai.

Kiri, girl! Kia ora!

Hey, I think you went to this kura with one of my cousins, but must be, that's ages ago,

Oh! I am sad!

I am sad!

Nah, engari, anyways.

Oh, she's tragic, though, my cousin, eh?

Oh, that's a long story. Engari, anyways. You wanna karanga?

I mean, all goods if you do and all goods if you don't,

cos old Whaea Trumpet over here, she's gonna blow us away, eh?

Not to be sad to Whaea Trumpet, but she thinks she's a matakite,

but the only thing she can kite is her own mata, eh?

I am sad!

I am sad! - (WHEEZES)

- I am sad!

Sad!

Engari, anyways, hey, let's push this tractor out and kick-start this whakatau. What do ya sa

Have fun, you fullas. See you on the other side, eh?

Whaea Trumpet, hit it!

Take us away!

You got it, girl!

Ka pai, you!

- # Haere mai ki te Kura o Tipare Area e!

# Haere mai!

# Piki mai!

# Kake mai!

# Kuhu mai... #

- ALL: # Tena ko te pou Te Pou o Rongo,

# no Rongo Mauri ora

# ka o a e. #

- Ka pai, boy.

- Na reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

- ALL: Kia ora.

- Ka tangi te titi.

Ka tangi te kaka.

Ka tangi hoki ahau.

Tihei mauri ora.

- Who's the new zaddy in town?

- Matiu, girl. He can get it.

- I tell you what. I'm gonna turn up every day if he's here to talk.

- Ana koe. - I might have to give him a (SINGS) 'kia ora'.

- Ae, might add in a 'tautoko' and a 'pono' too, girl.

Yes. Get it.

- ...e aku whanaunga,

e aku eweewe,

e aku epeepe,

he oranga ngakau te hoki ano ki waenganui i a koutou,

ki te ukaipo,

ki te whenua tangaengae o tatou.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena huihui mai tatou katoa.

- BOTH: # Ma wai ra e

# taurima te...

- Gonna have to do teacher-parent interviews tonight.

- (CHUCKLES) Every night.

- # ...te aroha e. #

- Tena koutou, tena huihui mai tatou katoa.

- Tena koe!

- Kia ora, Matua!

(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)

- I tell you what. You better watch this one, Kiri girl.

The whaea are already talking.

They're planning on coming to more events if your man's gonna have a korero.

- Oh, well. Hey, if the shoe fits, he can wear it, eh?

- Speaking of shoes, Matua, I heard that you're a graphic designer.

- Ae. Well, I was.

I mean, I was hoping to get some contracts done while I was here.

But we have been so busy with the move, I haven't been able to get that ball rolling.

- Well, funny you say that. I may have a position for you. - Really?

(CELL PHONE BUZZES) - Honey, I have to take this. Is that cool?

- Ae. - I'm not sure I know what touch is.

- It's a game. It's like rugby, but you don't tackle. - Oh. That sounds fun.

- Yes, I heard you before. But you don't need to worry. I'll get it sorted.

- Who was that? Everything OK?

- Ae. Just mahi.

Hey, I need to head into town and run some errands.

How do you think the kids are gonna go here?

- Yeah, I think they're gonna be fine.

They're about to meet their kaiako, and...

you won't believe this, but I think I just got offered a job to work here.

- I mean, Nate will be fine. He can talk his way into anywhere.

But Amiria? I'm worried she's gonna find it difficult.

Wait, what?

A job? - A job.

- Ki konei? - Ae!

Matua Kare is like the acting principal, you know,

so he sort of offered me a job to teach design to the kids.

- Wow. That's awesome. - Mm.

- And so, what? Are you gonna take it?

- He's gonna show me around the school, get set up with a class. Maybe if I enjoy it, I stay o

Pehea ou whakaaro?

- Babe, I think whatever you decide to do will be the right decision.

But I also think you'll make a bloody great kaiako.

- Thanks, babe.

- All right, well, I guess I'll head into town, do my thing and then come back and get

- Sounds like a plan.

- Do you reckon I should say goodbye to the kids or no? Me kaua?

- Shame! - (CHUCKLES) Shame, eh?

- Bad enough I'm gonna be sticking around. - Yeah, true.

- Hei akuanei. - Ae. Mwah!

Hei akuanei, taku pukorero.

Hey, have fun with your new best friend Matua Kare.

And if he tries to hold your hand, I know you're gonna let him.

- Get out of it!

- Mm! - Hey! (LAUGHS)

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

(CURIOUS MUSIC)

- Kia ora? Is anyone here?

Dammit.

- Kia ora!

Mo taku he. Sorry, didn't mean to give you a fright.

Are you looking for Matua Jacobson?

- Ae. Do you know him? - Yeah, of course. Everyone does.

He owns most of the buildings on this street.

- Do you know where he is?

- Well, if his door's closed, you've got one of two options ― tangi or Sun Shed Ship.

Cafe. Yeah.

Quite random, really, cos it's not a shed or a ship.

- Ko Kiri ahau. - Oh, kia ora. Yeah, kei te mohio au.

Ko Meremereana ahau.

Come on. Let me take you to the cafe, see if he's there.

- Kao. I'll just come back. - No, I insist. Come on. It's just down the main drag.

Yeah. Hey, so your kids started at the kura today, eh?

- They did. How did you know that?

- Kumara vine. Yeah, news travels fast around here.

I also hear you've got a hot husband.

Lucky! Yeah.

Marriage, two kids, and you've brought your whanau all the way over from London.

So, what brings you to the pito of the universe?

- Well, I whakapapa to this whenua. I grew up around here.

- Na whai ano. Yeah.

Yeah, You can always tell a local. You know? They've got a certain way about them.

- Oh yeah? What's that?

- It's like a glimmer in the eye, you know?

If the glimmer's still bright, they've obviously missed their people and their whenua

and they're back to help both things thrive.

- What if the glimmer's gone?

- I don't know. Maybe they're back to do the opposite?

- What glimmer do I have? - (CHUCKLES) Hard to tell. Yeah.

Maybe we could fill in the gaps over a cup of coffee? My shout?

Come on. Kia tere.

(MYSTERIOUS MUSIC)

- All right! - Oh!

- Good news.

I just spoke to our principal, Whaea Tippy. You know, Tippy Haere?

Anyways.

She's all good for you to start straight away. (CHUCKLES)

I mean, we've never had a kaiako here that teaches graphic design before.

But here you are, eh?

You know what?

It is exciting for our tauira to learn a new skill that's gonna help them out in their future

- Ae, it's pretty exciting. - It is pretty exciting.

OK! Let's get your akomanga sussed. - Ka pai.

(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)

(CHILDREN SHOUT HAPPILY)

(CAREFREE MUSIC)

(MUSIC STOPS)

- (SIGHS)

- Kia ora. You all right?

- Um, mm-hm. Just... Just sitting.

- Mind if I sit with you?

- Yeah, sure.

- It's hard being the new kid, eh?

- Yeah.

Especially when you're from a different country.

- What do you mean?

- I grew up in London.

Well, I grew up here when I was I was little, with my Nan,

but spent most of my school years over there.

- London? Wow, that's cool.

What's that like?

- Uh, grey.

But fun, I guess.

Definitely nothing like this place.

- Boys only make friends fast cos they don't think.

Are you jealous your brother fits in so easy?

- What? Jealous? Kao!

- Liar!

Well, you can sit here and be jealous of your brother

or you can come with me and get a pie from the canteen.

Up to you. Your choice.

- Uh, I think I'd rather go with you.

- Great choice. - I'm Amiria, by the way.

- You've gotta try these new hazelnut lattes.

My cousins in Auckland, they always say to me, 'That's not real coffee.'

And I'm like, 'Yes it is, you snob. Just try it.' You know?

Then they have one sip, and it's like their whatus kinda glaze over, you know?

Cos they haven't had sugar for so long.

And I'm like, 'You're welcome!' (SIGHS)

Your skin is so good.

- Oh my God, really? - Yeah!

- I just got off a 24-hour flight. I feel like a dried-up old zombie.

- So, you're straight off a flight from London and into town to meet Matua Jacobsen?

It must be pretty important business.

And I'm just guessing here that because it is Matua Jacobsen,

it's probably got something to do with real estate or environmental issues or both or...?

- Or none of the above.

- Yeah, right. (CHUCKLES)

Of course. Yeah.

So you're... you're definitely not part of that new international agency

that's trying to buy Matua Jacobsen's Quarry and the adjoining iwi land for a subdivision, a

Just, God, imagine if you were. You know?

That would cause quite a stir with the local hapu, you know?

If they knew it was one of their own that was blindsiding them.

- That's a lot of speculation.

- Yeah.

Yeah, it is. Yeah, of course. Yeah.

It's just...

You know, it's a small town..

People talk. News travels fast.

(CELL PHONE BUZZES) Oh. Mo taku he.

I'm actually running late. Sorry, Kiri.

Um, I better go. But it was really lovely to meet you.

He pai te noho tahi. - Ae.

- Tena, kia ora, kia ora, e toru nga kia ora ki a koe.

Hika ma! Kei konei koe inaianei.

He tou tirairaka koe, ne, e tama?

- Kaore au i te tino marama ki te tikanga o tena korero?

- Ka kite au i a koe i te koroua whare,

ka kite au i a koe i te marae,

inaianei kei taku akomanga o mua.

Mea rawa ake ka kitea koe i taku moenga.

(LAUGHS)

- Kare ano pea taua kia tutaki.

Ko Matiu ahau.

- Ae.

Kei te mohio ke au ko wai koe.

Kua tino whakahoutia tenei wahi.

- Ana!

Ano nei ko te ao tawhito he tutaki ana ki te ao hou.

Mo taku rongo, i mea mai koe ko to akomanga o mua tenei?

- Ana, koina.

Engari, no mua noa atu tera.

Kua tukuna ahau ki konei ki te mea atu...

kia hihiwa o karu.

Kia mataara.

- Kia hihiwa oku karu?

Kia mataara ki te aha?

(KNOCK AT DOOR)

- Ano e korero ana ki tetahi tamaiti,

te marama he aha te aha...

- Nice classroom, Mr Wharekoa.

- (CHUCKLES)

- When was the last time you had a cream doughnut?

- Mo taku he. Kaore i mau i a au to ingoa...

- You all right?

- Yeah, I was just talking to um...

- OK.

So, is it a done deal or what? Are you gonna take the job?

- I guess so. I mean, it's still kind of like a trial period.

We went around the kura today, and the kids seem pretty excited

to learn the basics of graphic design, so...

- That is definitely promising. I'm so excited for you.

You've found something that makes you happy. - Thanks, babe.

Kei te pai koe?

- Yeah.

- Hey, did Matua Kare hold your hand or what?

- Ah! Get out!

Got jam on it? - Real cream.

- Mmm! Nom!

- Yeah, nah, I didn't want any.

- You don't want some? - No, it's fine. You have it.

- Check out my classroom.

- It's choice.

- I wonder what department he works in, though. I mean, he looked like my age, but his kakah

- Maybe a bit younger, babes.

- Yeah? (LAUGHS)

Oh, these keys. Can you take this back, hon?

- Ae. - I'll meet you at the car. - OK.

- Ka kite, Whaea Korks! - Ae, ka pai. Hei apopo.

- Just dropping off these spare keys.

- Ah, ka pai, thank you. - Thank you, Whaea.

Oh, Whaea, who's this matua here?

- Oh. That's lovely Koro Joe. Handsome man, wasn't he?

- Koro Joe. I was chatting to him. I didn't catch his name.

- Oh, couldn't have been him, boy. Must have been someone else.

He's long gone.

- What do you mean?

- Kua mate.

Ta-ra.

(OMINOUS MUSIC)

- It was a delicious drink, dammit.

- Oh. Kia ora, Kiri, girl. How was your day?

Here to pick up everyone, are we? Ka pai.

Look, you probably haven't been linked into the upcoming camping trip that's happening.

So now you know. Surprise.

I'll link all the information to you and Matiu later.

- Have a good night. - Uh, Matua Kare, can I ask you something?

- Not only can you ask me something, you can ask mesomething!

Patai mai ― what's up?

- I ran into someone today.

A Meremereana? Do you know her?

- Ugh! Mere girl.

Kia tupato. - Why's that?

- Well, she is lovely.

But let me tell you this.

Once she smells a story, or she thinks something is up,

she will do everything in her power to find out the truth.

Probably what makes her a good journalist.

Why's that, Kiri girl? Have you got something to hide?

- Ehara! I wish my life was that exciting.

Just wondering. That's all.

- Ka pai. Well, I'm off. Have a good night. Hei te wa!

- Ae, hei te wa!

(DOORS CLOSE) - Mum.

- Hey!

How was your day?

- Good, Mum. I made heaps of new friends. - You know the girl at the powhiri?

- I met this guy called Tyson. He plays rugby. - Her name's Felicity.

- We had morning tea. - We got a pie together at the cafeteria.

- I got a pie. It was so cool. - And it was really yum.

- Aue! Honey, you look like you've just seen a ghost.

- BOTH: Kehua.

- Hey, guess what?

Did you know your dad is gonna be a teacher at your kura?

- Dad, that is awesome!

- # We're not gonna find it if we're standing still.

# So baby, come with me, and maybe then you'll see. #

- You didn't happen to get a chance to look into that resource and consent plan

that those Floodgate & Co pricks have been shopping around here, did you?

We're lucky we got our whanau land in a trust, thanks to John-Boy.

But some other whanau around here?

Chur, I don't think they'll be that lucky if all this goes through, that's for sure

- Everything will halt until I find out what this journalist knows and who else is involved.

- Whaea, did you just come in by yourself?

- Yeah, of course I did.

- This might sound weird, but I feel like someone's been watching me.

I probably just need a kai, right?

- Mana. Kua hopukina koe i tetahi atu mea.