DOMOVINA DAY 7
Postcards from Croatia - Zadar & Kornati Islands
We started Day 7 in Zadar, walking through the old town and along the waterfront before heading out onto a boat towards the Kornati Islands. Our morning began with a guided tour, and what I loved most was the Sea Organ, where the movement of the waves creates music through pipes built beneath the marble steps. Nearby, the Greeting to the Sun is made up of hundreds of solar panels set into the pavement, collecting energy throughout the day before lighting up after dark.
After the tour, we headed onto the boat, where coffee and rakija were waiting before we set off towards the islands. Croatian music played across the deck as we cruised through the Kornati islands, with singing, gemišt and cigarettes along the way. Lunch was served on board with wine, sausage, chicken and pork, alongside cabbage salad and plenty of tomatoes.
A couple of hours into the trip, we stopped for a swim. It was incredibly windy, but the water was warm and crystal clear. Being in the water was one of my favourite parts of the day. While we were on the boat, Dodo, who was serving us, stopped to make Jules and me a coffee. We started talking about New Zealand, and I found out he had lived in Kerikeri, picking fruit. He told me how much he would have loved to stay, and I started talking about what it would be like to live in Croatia. He mentioned that if I moved to Zadar, I could work on the boat. It was such a small conversation, but it made me think about living in Croatia in a more serious way. For the first time, it felt like something I could actually make happen.
Me, Jules & Mia
We later stopped at another spot, where some of the group went for another swim while the rest of us got gelato and wandered around together before heading back to the boat. By then, we'd been together for a week, and the friendships we'd formed had started to feel so natural. Despite coming from different corners of the world, there was a feeling of connection that was difficult to put into words. We were all sharing a part of the same story, while creating new memories together along the way.
I also started noticing how freely people in Croatia express themselves, through conversation, through singing, through the way they interact with each other. I remember Filip, our team leader, singing with Janko and Luka on the boat, and thinking about how rarely I see that kind of openness in New Zealand. People just seemed more at ease being themselves here, and it made me feel free to do the same.
At the same time, I kept being reminded of my childhood in ways I hadn't expected. Music brought back memories, certain foods felt familiar, and being surrounded by nature reminded me of things I'd always loved. It made me look at those parts of myself differently. I began to wonder how much of what I love, and even the way I am, was inherited without me ever realising it.
By the time we arrived back in Zadar, we headed to dinner at a huge, almost empty venue with one long table set up for us. We met Katarina from ACAP, who interviewed some of us about our experience on the Domovina Birthright Programme so far. Afterwards, I went out for a cigarette and chatted with Kristina and Luka on the steps while we waited for everyone else to come outside for our “family photo” on the stairs, before heading onto the bus.
Over the past week, friendships had formed so naturally. Despite coming from different corners of the world, there was a feeling of connection that was difficult to put into words. It was heartwarming to be surrounded by people who shared a part of the same story, while creating new memories together along the way.
Somewhere along the way, I started to see my connection to Croatia a little differently. It wasn't only about where my family came from. I was beginning to recognise pieces of myself in the things around me, and to question how much of that had been passed down to me without me ever realising it.
Croatia didn't give me a new sense of who I was. It gave me a clearer view of what had already been there.
