Hana Kōkō makes his way to shore at Waitangi by waka ama. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Hana Kōkō makes his way to shore at Waitangi by waka ama. Photo / Peter de Graaf
When Hana Kōkō arrived at Waitangi yesterday he didn't bother with anything as silly as a sleigh drawn by reindeer.
Instead the big guy arrived on a waka decorated with tinsel and flying the United Tribes of Aotearoa flag — a mode of transport he knew was far more suitedto Northland conditions — while a kuia welcomed him to shore with a karanga.
It's the fourth year Hana Kōkō (that's te reo for Santa) has visited Waitangi, an initiative by the local waka ama club and the police youth organisation Blue Light to give Christmas a distinctly Māori flavour.
As well as presents, the 40 or so children who had gathered on the beach enjoyed paddle boarding, a sausage sizzle, music, a treasure dig and tug-o-war.
Sharee Tito, of Waitangi Waka Ama Kaihoe, said the Bay of Islands was a melting pot where Māori and European cultures met, so it was important to retain a Māori influence even when celebrating a festival like Christmas.
Hana Kōkō is mobbed by kids on Ti Beach as he hands out Christmas presents. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The waka ama club started only a few years but was going from strength to strength, she said.
As well as organising Hana Kōkō's visits it hosted an annual regatta and, in February, the club would take part in the Waitangi Day waka display for the first time.
