Marae 'coping' with thousands of mourners [audio report]

Jehdene McRae-Thomas, 17, delivers a bunch of flowers on behalf of Tongariro School. Picture / Sarah Ivey

A major logistical operation to host the thousands of visitors to Turangawaewae Marae swung into action again today.

Around 10,000 people yesterday paid respect to Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Maori Queen, and a similar number were already estimated to have arrived by mid-morning today.

Many more were expected over the weekend.

The army is now helping to provide catering, with up to a thousand people eating at a sitting.

Poka Pokaia, the marae's chairman, said large donations of food have been received, including a 40-foot container of vegetables from Pukekohe and a 20-foot container of beef and mutton.

Busses started arriving at the site at Ngaruawahia, Waikato, at 5am, and Prime Minister Helen Clark was among the guests at the marae today. She spent around three hours there and was one of a relatively small number of Pakeha visitors.

Following a breakfast for kaumatua, the gates were open to the public at 8am today for the first time. Entrance to the marae had, since Dame Te Ata's death on Tuesday, previously been restricted to members of the Tainui iwi.

Mr Pokaia told Newstalk ZB: "When they walk on, they all come on as one, because she touched so many hearts."

He said there "no problem" in hosting so many people. The marae has a dining hall capable of seating up to 700 diners in normal circumstances and the kitchens had recently been renovated.

Traffic

Traffic at the site is being controlled by Maori wardens and there were no reports of problems despite the large numbers. Parking was being provided at Patterson Park, Ngaruawahia's rugby league ground.

Huge number of people paying their respect are expected over the weekend, before the burial of Dame Te Ata due to take place at Taupiri Mountain on Monday.

A section of State Highway 1 will be closed from 10am to 4pm. Detours will be in place at Huntly, Ngaruawahia and Tirau.

"This will be one of the biggest movements of people in the Waikato we have ever had to deal with and it will impact hugely on the transport network," said Waikato road policing manager Inspector Leo Tooman.

Police said it was hoped a shuttle service would take people from the Turangawaewae marae to Taupiri mountain.

Monday's burial could be delayed if there is dispute over her succession, but Mr Pokaia said he did not expect any hold up. "I am quite confident that one of her family will succeed her," he said.

The Herald understands that Dame Te Ata's eldest son, Tuheitia Paki, is favoured to take over.

ROAD CLOSURES AND DETOURS

Motorists driving south from Auckland will be told of the detours by message boards along the Southern Motorway.

Traffic will be diverted on to SH2 at the Bombay Hills then to SH27 across the Hauraki Plains.

A further detour for southbound traffic will be on the Ohinewai-Tahuna interchange on the Waikato expressway. The only vehicles allowed past this point will be local traffic.

Traffic heading north will be diverted at Tirau -- 55km southwest of Hamilton -- on to SH27.

At Ngaruawahia, north-bound traffic will be diverted on to Hakarimata Rd, via Waingaro Rd.

Traffic on SH1B (Taupiri-Gordonton Rd) will be diverted on to Lake Rd and Horotiu Bridge Rd to connect on to SH1.

- NZHERALD STAFF, NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA