Further to LANDFALL NEW ZEALAND:
‘Land Ahoy’ ( ‘Aotearoa’ ) first came to my attention in the broadsheet which the initiators of Chch Folk Music had compiled for their meetings which were held upstairs at the City Campus of Canterbury University Students Association when I first began to publicly participate. It was written by Janet Smith, a BSc student from Nelson. I worked on it with the women of Te Wai Pounamu College in Ferry Road. I asked them to translate the chorus into Maori, then performed it regularly, renaming it ‘Aotearoa’, which seemed fitting. Later, I entered it in the Cook Bi-Centennial Celebrations held in Gisbourne. and was asked by Radio NZ to perform this and ‘Beautiful Coasts of New Zealand’ which was written by Willow Mackie from the North Island. Janet’s song won, but by now she was studying in America.