Weather fails to dampen Ngati Hine festival spirits

Five-year-old Uenuku Herrick, from Whangarei, gets a temporary ta moko from NorthTec's Regina Rapeta.

Rain, flooded roads and mud failed to dampen spirits at the Ngati Hine Festival held at Otiria Marae, near Moerewa, on Saturday.

The wild weather did, however, shorten the biennial festival from two days to one and prompted some of the performers - especially those planning to travel from Auckland and Whangarei - to pull out.

Image 1 of 26:

Organising committee member Pita Tipene said he was "more than happy" with Saturday's festivities.

He was only disappointed for the tamariki who had been looking forward to performing for whanau on Friday. Some of the school and kohanga reo groups put on a show at the kura kaupapa in Moerewa instead.

Mr Tipene hoped they would get another chance to showcase their talent in the coming weeks.

Friday night's concert went ahead as planned with a lineup that included Troy Kingi and Ruia Aperahama but drew only a few hundred people.

Two of the kapa haka groups scheduled for Saturday, Auckland-based Te Taha Tu and Whangarei's Hatea, pulled out but Te Puu Ao, based at Whangarei Terenga Paraoa Marae, put on a great performance, Mr Tipene said.

"The rain gave the festival a bit of extra essence. This is certainly one we'll remember for a while. People just coped with it."

He was pleased the theme of this year's festival - He Kumara, He Tangata - came through clearly in the te reo debate, the wearable arts contest, and even some of the songs and haka.

The expression harks back to ancestress Hineamaru and can be translated as 'everyone is sweet like the kumara'.

"It's about valuing everyone in the community. We also want to bring these historical names to the fore, and try to understand the values of our ancestors and maintain them today."

The festival's name, Te Ahuareka o Ngati Hine, comes from the whare chief Te Ruki Kawiti built at Waiomio in the 1820s.

Ahuareka translates loosely as 'sweet or pleasant place'.

Mr Tipene put the festival's success, despite the weather, down to hard work by many volunteers and good sponsorship, which meant all activities were free of charge.

Te Puu Ao had just returned from competing at Te Matatini national kapa haka championships but leader Robert Nathan of Whangarei said the Ngati Hine Festival was "right up there" in importance for the group.

"That's because it's for our own people. It's giving back to the people who've supported us, who've come to our shows, bought our raffles, and sent us supportive messages. We'd come rain, hail or shine," he said.

Other festival highlights included the Whangarei-based Cook Islands/Tahitian dance group Mano o Te Hula, DDF Dance and the Norty North rap collaboration.

The next festival is scheduled to take place in 2019. The committee is considering a smaller event in 2018 aimed at schools.