We aren’t tourists in new lands to seeking out all the good and simply forgetting the rest. But rather as tangata whenua, as the Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand, we travel to invest our time to learn, grow and connect as we are all implicated in the kaupapa of sustainability. We decided to head off mainland Bali, to experience a different way of life predominately muslim and to spend time with the Indigenous peoples. Things didn't quite go to plan, as our time on Lombok on the Lesser Sunda Islands began with a 1 in 100 year extreme weather event - completely rattling us all. A severe thunderstorm that challenged our mind body and spirit, but as scary as it was, we were safe and we learnt alongside the approaches the locals took to both the warning and clean-up. Insights a plenty! We contributed to community initiatives, one which we spent time sunset cleaning up Pantai Selong Belanak.

It reminded so much of our little beach back home, but the rubbish turned up by the storm confronting! We got involved in clean-up attempts and what we are forever inspired by the initiatives we have been exposed to and we saw the artisans at Plastik Kembali who are repurposing what we collected, albeit it using hemp, jute and some of the found rubbish. We spent time in the gallery on the island, it felt as though I’d walked into a group of weavers back home. So many unexpected moments on Lombok, but an experience that changed us all.

It was a tremendous privilege to spend time with Katni and her guides on the northern part of Lombok Island developing indigenous-to-indigenous connections. We spent time in her community, and as the Indigenous Stakeholders Wetu telu Senaru Bayan and of the Sasak peoples, she began the first indigenous woman's guiding organisation of the world over 20 years ago, of which she now employs over 70 in her community.

Her mana evident as she shared with us her realities of being a woman and expectations of employment, but somehow she navigated forwards to demonstrate that through the beauty of her place, people and whenua, there is reason to believe we all can contribute to successful economies and strong families. It was and will be the most memorable experience of the adventure that will sustain beyond in-country immersion.