Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Paddlers from around the world expected for Waitangi Day waka display

By Peter de Graaf
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
2 Feb, 2019 12:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The waka Mataatua in last year's Waitangi Day commemorations. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The waka Mataatua in last year's Waitangi Day commemorations. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Paddlers from Hawaii, North America and the Netherlands will join Māori from around the motu when up to 10 waka take to the waters off Waitangi on Wednesday.

The waka crews are expected to depart from Haruru Falls and Waitangi boat ramp early in the morning and converge on Tii Beach, in front of Te Tii Marae, around 9.30am. There, the kaihoe (paddlers) will perform a series of mass haka and be greeted by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Ngā Waka Te Tai Tokerau chairman Robert Gabel said the number of kaihoe representing indigenous peoples from Hawaii and the US, including the Suqamish of Washington state, had been boosted this year by people keen to honour waka builder and master navigator Hekenukumai Busby, who will be knighted on the Treaty Grounds on Monday.

The fleet will include waka from Tauranga and Whakatane as well as Northland canoes such as the 30-metre Ngātokimatawhaorua, the world's largest waka in use.

Three members of Leiden University's Njord Royal Student Rowing Club in the Netherlands, kaitiaki of the only waka taua (war canoe) based in the Northern Hemisphere, will also be taking part.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As in previous years, more than 300 kaihoe will stay in a waka training camp at Bledisloe Domain in Haruru Falls in the days leading up to February 6.

However, Gabel said the camp had received no funding this year — it is normally supported by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage and Te Puni Kōkiri — which meant the facilities would be much more basic than in previous years.

When they are not paddling, the kaihoe will help out around Waitangi, for example by welcoming dignitaries to Te Tii Marae.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Fire and Emergency NZ iwi liaison officer Albert Cash hongis the great waka Ngātokimatawhaorua. Photo / Peter de Graaf
Fire and Emergency NZ iwi liaison officer Albert Cash hongis the great waka Ngātokimatawhaorua. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Fire and Emergency NZ is also taking part in an effort to upskill its personnel in tikanga Māori.

Iwi liaison officer Albert Cash, a kaihautu (captain) who has been involved in waka since childhood, will pass on some of his knowledge of waka skills and protocols to Naini Heremaia, a rural firefighter based at Rāwhiti, and Moana Harris, a volunteer for Rawene brigade, from February 3 to 6.

Discover more

Blooming lovely heritage

01 Feb 09:30 PM

List of events in Northland this weekend

01 Feb 01:00 AM

Stars from GOT and Shortland Street in Northland campaign

02 Feb 01:00 AM
Kahu

Ardern meets with iwi leaders at Waitangi

31 Jan 10:57 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'Didn't think I was going very fast': Uncle pleads guilty after toddler's fatal fall from ute

09 Jul 07:41 AM
Northern Advocate

Art exhibition marks Whangārei’s place in Rainbow Warrior bombing 40 years on

09 Jul 12:00 AM
Northern Advocate

National Māori leader stands for Northland Regional Council

08 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'Didn't think I was going very fast': Uncle pleads guilty after toddler's fatal fall from ute

'Didn't think I was going very fast': Uncle pleads guilty after toddler's fatal fall from ute

09 Jul 07:41 AM

Aitua Puriri said he didn't believe he was driving very fast at the time his nephew fell.

Art exhibition marks Whangārei’s place in Rainbow Warrior bombing 40 years on

Art exhibition marks Whangārei’s place in Rainbow Warrior bombing 40 years on

09 Jul 12:00 AM
National Māori leader stands for Northland Regional Council

National Māori leader stands for Northland Regional Council

08 Jul 05:00 PM
News in brief: Deadline extended for story submissions

News in brief: Deadline extended for story submissions

08 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP