One of Hawke's Bay's biggest annual gatherings of schools got underway with some of its biggest winds yesterday.
But nothing could stop the Ngati Kahungunu Primary Schools Kapa Haka Festival, which will run for four days in a large marquee at Richmond School, Napier.
Host school principal Maurice Rehu said last night: "It was a fantastic day - barring the wind."
The big top, with room for a stage and more than 500 people, stayed in place, but a few smaller tents used for shade and other purposes "had to come down," he said.
Vehicles lined the suburban streets of Maraenui outside the school and crowds thronged the grounds, including proud mums, dads and grandparents seeing their own feats in almost 40 years of the festival being emulated by the current generation, ranging from pre-schoolers to pupils aged about 12.
Richmond's junior group provided the first item as groups went through routines of about 15 minutes each. Among those in the crowd capturing some of the action was Hawke's Bay Today photographer Paul Taylor.