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Postal Address:
PO Box 13 678,
Christchurch 8141,
New Zealand
Ambassador Ti Aki
<- Homepage: Our Primary Industries: Unpacking the apple story
Kia ora,
I'm Ti Aki, or Ti for short. I am a ruru and a very wise owl and I guide my class through their journey of life. I help everyone to make informed decisions and equip them with the tools they need to solve issues they may face along the way.
I'm looking forward to finding out more about apples and hope that I might get to taste test some!
See you soon,
Ti.
Monday 20 May
Kia ora,
I made it to Dunedin just in time to begin the field trip with Shelley and Māia the LEARNZ ambassador. Luckily the stormy weather had vanished, and we enjoyed spectacular views as we flew north. I found out about the world’s only snack sized apple in the Kia Ora magazine during the flight. We will meet the people that grow these apples on Thursday.
We visited the Port of Napier on our way to Havelock North. I was surprised at how big this port is. I guess because this is such a good area for farming, growing food, and forestry, a lot of cargo goes through this port. Tomorrow we will head to an orchard to see how they grow some of the best apples in the world.
See you there,
Ti.
Tuesday 21 May
Kia ora,
I was so proud of my classmates today. You asked such quality questions during the web conference! We went to a trial orchard block this morning where they are looking at different ways to train apple trees so they grow in a certain way. This makes it easier to pick apples and can increase the amount of fruit that grows. It can even mean that robots can be used to pick the apples.
We spent time in the pack house and saw how machines and people sort apples. It was incredible to see so many apples being packed ready to head overseas.
Tomorrow we are off to the lab to meet some scientists.
See you there,
Ti.
Wednesday 22 May
Kia ora,
We met lots of different scientists today who are all working on ways to improve our apple industry. It was amazing to see how people can do the same job that bees do to cross pollinate apple trees. This work can lead to the creation of new apple varieties which are worth lots of money overseas.
I helped Hannah test apples to see how fresh and tasty they are. I even got to eat a few apples to see which ones I liked best. My favourite apple is the Envy apple. Tomorrow we will see how technology is helping to manage pests and diseases.
See you then,
Ti.
Thursday 23 May
Tēnā koutou,
I can’t believe this is the last day of the field trip. We have managed to pack a fair bit in to our time here in the Hawke’s Bay. I have learned so much about apples and the work that goes into making our apple industry world-famous. It was interesting to see the technology that scientists are using to help manage pests and diseases on orchards. I wanted to help fly the drone but it is really expensive, so I wasn't allowed.
It has been such an interesting field trip and I can’t wait to go on another one soon.
Bye for now,
Ti.
Ti Aki is looking forward to heading to Hawke's Bay for the Our Primary Industries field trip. Image: LEARNZ.
Ti Aki at the Port of Napier takes time to think about all the products that get exported from New Zealand. Image: LEARNZ.
Ti Aki takes a closer look at some apple trees on a T and G trial orchard in Hastings. Image: LEARNZ.
Ti Aki takes a look at some different apple varieties. Image: LEARNZ.
Ti Aki helps test apple juice to see how acidic it is. Image: LEARNZ.
Ti Aki isn't sure if these stink bugs are worth eating. Image: LEARNZ.
Māia and Ti Aki wait for a ride on the drone used to release sterile codling moths. Image: LEARNZ.